


SLFM Part I: Children of the Ruins

by akeetpotato



Series: Sealed Land of Forbidden Mysticism [1]
Category: Touhou Project, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Undertale Fusion, Choose Your Own Adventure, Crossover, Gen, Original Character(s), POV Female Character, POV Second Person, Psychological Drama, Quest Archive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:41:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 51,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28051839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akeetpotato/pseuds/akeetpotato
Summary: In a quiet corner of the world where not much happens, in a backwater town that's always lived in the shadow of the mountain, you leave on a sacred mission. You have your orders, and you're going to see them through.You have no reason to fear death- there are many other things that you find harder to avoid.The Underground awaits you.And in a way, you've been awaiting this too.
Series: Sealed Land of Forbidden Mysticism [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2054823
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> This is an archive of a currently ongoing CYOA/quest that can be found on SB at https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/sealed-land-of-forbidden-mysticism-undertale-touhou-au.786469/
> 
> As this is an archive of an already completed part of the story, voting has already been concluded for this part and voting choices have been excised. There may be minor and unintentional changes between both versions.

“Okay, everyone! Quiet down- we’re doing silent reading. Get your books out and turn to page 215.”

You know this place. Of course. Who wouldn’t recognize their own classroom? 

“-on’t think Voltron’s as cool as Gunbuster, it’s just-”

“-o, what are you up to after school gets ou-”

“-atch, it’s just gonna be the war again, that’s all she ever talks abo-”

Your classmates never were the most attentive bunch...

“AHEM!

It’s silent reading time… and that means quiet time! Unless any of you want to stand in the corner, that is?”

“No, Mrs. _____ …”

Why can’t you remember her name?

“Alright then. Today’s story is about an ancient legend of a fierce battle… Oh, I think you’ll like this one.”

“See? Told you.”

“Shh!”

You ignore the commotion and turn the pages to the beginning of the story.

Long ago, two races ruled over the earth: Humans and Youkai.

The humans were weak, but they were many. Together, they were capable of building great things.

The Youkai were strong, but they were few. As unique beings, they each lived in their own way.

One day, war broke out between the two races. 

The Emperor sent his armies, and they marched into the mountains to strike at the heart of the youkai lands.

The Tengu responded in kind, their ranks deployed to hold their sacred mountain at all costs.

As the battle raged, it was the youkai hunters who turned the tides. They were brave warriors, blessed by the gods.

And among those, legends among the legends, were the Hakurei.

Dressed in red and white, they moved among the battlefield as if they were spirits themselves. 

They defeated the high Tengu and cast the oni down, and wherever they went, hope followed in their wake.

After the long battle, the humans were victorious.

The surviving youkai desperately fled into a large cave beneath the mountain.

Even then, the humans were hesitant to follow- the war had left them exhausted and weakened.

It seemed to all that the war was doomed to continue.

But then, a legendary youkai exterminator - Saint Byakuren - appeared. 

She told the others her plan- she would travel underground with her most devoted followers, to seal the monsters away with a magic spell.

She was willing to sacrifice herself for that goal.

So the Saint created a great and powerful Barrier.

Underneath the mountain, the caves are set apart from the knowledge and reach of humanity.

Even now… legends say that those who climb the mountain never return.

“There we go- that’s the ancient form of the legend! Does anyone have any questions?”

You do. “Do we know why the war started in the first place? Things were peaceful before that, right?”

“Well, that’s a difficult question to answer. The peace was an uneasy one, because the youkai were reluctant to attack humans inside towns and cities. They feared retribution from soldiers or hunters. But they were eager to pick off the isolated and vulnerable when they could.

When humans went out beyond the city walls, they needed people to guard and protect them. Only the foolish would think of entering the wilds alone. So even though humans were divided on many issues, they knew that they needed to work together against the youkai threat.

By the start of the war, most of the country was already free from the most dangerous youkai, thanks to the devout priests and shrine maidens, who used the blessings of the gods to fight against the youkai. A mountainous region near Nagano- not far from here- was already famous for being a stronghold where many powerful youkai gathered. Tengu and Oni ruled atop the mountain, and the few humans who lived in the area lived in fear behind their walls.”

Something isn’t right.

“The lords and influential merchants of the cities nearby understood the danger of youkai attacks and wanted to make the land safe to settle and develop. So they petitioned the Emperor, who began his campaign. Then the war began in earnest.

Of course, there were more participants than just the Emperor’s army. There were many priests and legendary figures who came from far and wide to participate in the extermination- and then there were the hunters and warriors who already lived in that region. Outnumbered ten to one, they had held off the youkai for decades on their own. And the most powerful and influential of those were the Hakurei family, of a Shinto shrine in the region.”

There’s this pounding feeling inside your head.

“The Hakurei, as mentioned in the legend, were best known for their supreme skill at performing youkai extermination- the legend does not exaggerate how important they were to the war effort. Even when battles seemed certain to be lost, their arrival rallied the soldiers and gave them the strength to keep fighting.”

bgm - [Amnesia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lZWXzR1VW8)

The world around you begins to dissolve into static, your teacher’s voice echoing in your ears.

“Now that  we̡ live in ͠peace ,  s̡̫̰u̹ͅc̦h a͈̪̻ ͓r͏e̵͓̜put̛ati͙̺͞o̺̹n l̤a̜ck̘͖s̛̰ ̛̗̩thȩ̥̭ ͔̟͉̕sa̞̟m̨͎͙̪e ̝̩f̝̮͓orc͈̼e ͔i͉̟ͅt ̫on̮̳̦c̤e h̹̲a͈d,̖ b͒u̴t ̢ͥ͛w̦̦̝̃͑̈́h͙̩̒͒a͐ͯ̊҉t͙̼̯̀̈ͬ ̦͑͝t̥͎̠͂ͥ̀ĥ͉̪ͪ̚ͅe͎̔y̒ͧ͗ ̞̲ͬ̒͝a͉̱ͅc̛͉̾c̄̈o͝m̥̙̩͗̅̉p̹̱lî͊҉͇͎s͎̪͑̑ḩ̺̤ē̲̪͖ͦ̃d̞ͨ w̨i͕̬̙l̜̞̮l̖̯ͤ̋͞ ͕̠͕̥̪͕̺̌̃̍ͦ̎͆̌n҉̥̖e͇vͤͨ̈ë̙̥ͬ͝r̩̿ ̩̤̠͈̝̖̔̎̈́̐̓̚b̰̜̟̈̎ͯe̛͍̗̯ ḟ̡͔̦͚͙̦̦̓̔͆ͭͣo̧̗̯͓̼͉̙̝r̎̓̎͊̍̌ͮg̥͙̓̔o͠tt̩̗̝̳ͥ̑ͦ̆è̪̼̥̥͍̏͗̅̄ń̳̱̼̝̣͚̇̄̐̉͂͢.”̱̲͊ͤ


	2. Chapter 2

… 

…Something that feels like a dream slips from your mind as it stirs. As you try to grasp and recall it, it slips through your outstretched fingers like a wisp of fog. And then that faint wisp is burned away to nothingness by the blinding light of day.

You’re awake- and your head is killing you. Your eyes snap open and you glance around, wincing as each movement reminds you of another scrape or ache.

Finally, you manage to overcome the sensory overload, pushing yourself up to a seated position with a grunt of exertion. Your right arm is turning black and blue, your knees feel like they’ve had nails hammered into them, and your head is pounding like a gang of ravenous drummers have been using it for a solo.

But- you think to yourself as you look up to the faint light shining down from the distant top of the cavern- after a fall like that, it’s a miracle that you didn’t break a limb. Or worse. From your position at the bottom of the gigantic, vertical chamber, it’s impossible to tell how distant the top is. Thankfully, the sunlight that filters from the cavern’s entrance above gives you plenty of light to see by.

You turn your gaze from the opening above to the ground below you, and finally realize that you’re sitting in the middle of a bed of bright yellow flowers, about ankle-high. You can even make out the rough outline where your body impacted them, crushing them into the soil. 

These flowers must have somehow broken your fall. 

You spend a long moment continuing to sit there, drinking the atmosphere in. The flowers give off a faint, sweet smell that reminds you of long hours spent in the fields and wilds when you were younger. In the distance, you can hear the sounds of birds singing from far above.

Around the circular bed of flowers lies a fairly sizable patch of grass that stretches to the edges of the chamber. You estimate it’s about twenty meters wide, in total. And another thing occurs to you- this grass is well kept, more like a lawn than a wild field. You don’t want to assume, but that would normally require the existence of someone to cultivate and tend to it. And the flowers, you suppose.

The more you look, the more signs of someone’s handiwork becomes apparent. Unpainted stone columns line the chamber walls, seemingly carved out of the walls themselves. They don’t match any style that you’ve seen before.

To your right, a tunnel leads away, deeper into the cavern.

* * *

You’re still sore, and your head is killing you- but you force yourself up to your feet, swaying slightly as your vision fades into a brilliant display of bright colors. The light-headedness passes, and you open your eyes, looking yourself over again.

You don’t seem to be bleeding, at least. That’ll have to be good enough for now. You lost your walking stick during the climb, and you’d feel better with it in your hands right now. Especially considering that the corridor ahead of you fades away into what appears like complete darkness.

However, as you look around the chamber with the grass in it, there doesn’t seem to be any other way out. Well, except for back the way you came, and that’s not an option for obvious reasons. 

So, you set off down the dark pathway, tracing your hand along one of the rock walls to steady yourself. You don’t have a choice. You can move forward into the unknown, or stay in that grassy chamber and wait to die of thirst. A fairly apt metaphor for life in general, if you may.

It isn’t long before there’s nothing left of the light behind you but a faint and tiny smear of grey. Your footfalls echo throughout the corridor loudly, and your fingers are growing numb as they brush against the wall’s surface. It’s remarkably smooth, either from the passage of time or some kind of intelligence’s design. Probably the latter, considering that the corridor seems to be fairly level and unchanging in size.

You aren’t an expert on caves by any stretch of the imagination, but you do know that they aren’t usually like this at all. And, as you see the faint glimmer of light in the distance ahead, usually don’t have convenient lights at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

Well, you certainly aren’t complaining. You redouble your pace as the light grows, and within a few more minutes of walking, you find yourself at the end of the corridor. To the front is a solid wall of rock, visible through the faint light filtering through an ornately carved doorway to the left. 

By impulse, you step around the corner and are bedazzled by the sight beyond the doorway. Literally bedazzled, because your eyes had already adjusted to the near-complete darkness of the corridor. You scrunch them shut and wince in pain, opening them slowly as they readjust to the light.

The actual sight of what lies beyond the door is still enough to take your breath away. 

It’s a gigantic cavernous room, easily ten times the size of the one with the grass from before. Actually, it might be far larger- you can’t make out the scale of the distant ceiling or walls without any landmarks- it’s all just grey stone and a few stalactites hanging far above. 

The room itself is lit in a sourceless light with a slight yellowish tint that makes you think of the old streetlamps back home. Looking down, you see only a faint, indistinct shadow below you. You aren’t about to question how it works because you’re grateful to be able to see again.

Ahead of you is a small open area that honestly reminds you of a bus stop, with what looks like stone benches carved into the rock walls to either side.

And beyond that, is a large and steep rock hill, stretching up an impressive height- over thirty meters, at a glance. The path continues forward to the top of the hill in a series of steep switchbacks. If anything, it reminds you of some kind of building. Or fortification. 

Feeling slightly tired from the walk, you decide to sit down on one of the benches and rest for a bit- but then you see the answer to your prayers in the form of a properly-sized walking stick, resting on one of the benches. 

You’re on it in a flash, inspecting it carefully as you examine its heft. It’s about your height, debarked, and even shows some signs of being carved to give it a smoother grip. And, as you take it in both hands to put it through a half-remembered kata, it’s balanced in the middle, as any proper staff should be.

Granted, you do feel a twinge of guilt- something like this was clearly someone’s possession once- sticks don’t carve themselves, after all. But in that case, why would they leave it here?

You take a second look around the area, this time with a more calculating gaze. You don’t see any other discarded possessions, or any signs of a struggle. You’re no expert, but it seems like someone had simply left the stick here for whatever reason.

* * *

After thinking it over, you decide to leave the stick where it rests. It isn’t an easy choice to make- after all, it is a _really_ nice walking stick. But it isn’t yours, after all. If you had been the one to forget it here, and then came back to find that someone had taken it, you wouldn’t be very happy.

So you set the stick back down, leaning it back against the bench where you found it. You clasp your hands together, and pray that you’ll be able to find a stick of your own later. Hopefully it’ll be almost as nice as this one is. 

With that moral quandary settled, you look back to the hill that rises ahead. You still aren’t feeling too good after that fall earlier, and that walk down the corridor didn’t help things any. Just thinking about making that climb right now makes you feel light-headed, so you decide to sit down on one of the benches. 

The smooth, cool stone would normally be an uncomfortable seat. But right now, it’s such a relief to sit down that you let out a long, involuntary sigh. You’re more tired than you had thought, then. It’s funny how you only notice these things after you begin to relax.

Slouching down in the seat, you feel your eyes start to slowly close-

No, you can’t let that happen. 

You wrench yourself upright with a burst of effort, blinking rapidly. You need to remember that you’re alone, underground, in a strange and unfamiliar cavern. All around you are signs of life- the carefully tended flower bed, the corridors, these benches, and this walking stick- but you haven’t seen any people. It’s almost like someone built this place, and then they all left for some reason.

Of course, it’s possible that they aren’t gone, and are merely hiding just out of sight. Watching you.

You glance around nervously, but don’t see anything. There’s just the carved stone, and the light that fills the gigantic chamber is bright and encompassing enough that you can’t see any shadows for anything to lurk in. 

Still, the thought of allowing yourself to sleep in this situation seems foolish- at least while you’re out in the open like this. Plus, sleeping on this stone bench seems likely to be very uncomfortable.

So even though a part of you wants nothing more than to just close your eyes and sleep, you swing your legs up onto the bench. At least you can rest here for a while before you continue with the climb up the hill.

Once again, you look yourself over. Your right arm is badly bruised, like you had noticed earlier. At least it doesn’t seem to be seriously injured, considering you can still move it freely, with only a dull ache that you’ve been feeling all this time. You don’t have a mirror right now, but you’re sure you must be fairly unsightly after landing face-first in that flower garden.

Outside of a general feeling of exhaustion and the aforementioned ache in your right arm, you seem mostly intact. Which is honestly surprising. That fall you took earlier should have been fatal. But here you are, very much alive.

 _Those flowers_ … you think to yourself. Earlier, you had the idea that they must have broken your fall, somehow. But that doesn’t make sense, there’s no way they could have been enough to turn a fatal fall into something that caused minor injuries.

Maybe you’re just thinking about it the wrong way. You half-remember a story from a long time ago, about a woman who fell for miles from a plane and miraculously lived. Ultimately, no one could tell _why_ she had managed to survive.

So maybe that was it then. Just a one in a million chance. You’ve always been sort of lucky, but this…

This doesn’t really matter. You don’t know how or why, but you’re still alive. And you can take plenty of time to think about how or why once you can find yourself a hot meal and a warm bed. You’re still alive- so you might as well make the most of it. After all, what’s the point of living without the little, valuable things like those? That’s always been your philosophy, anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

Big things like fame or fortune haven’t ever really interested you. From what you’ve seen, having that kind of stuff doesn’t really make people _happy_ in the end.  
  
Mostly, you just live life from day to day, without worrying about the past or dreaming of what’s to come. If you were asked, you’d say that no one can tell what the future holds, so there’s no point in trying to do useless things like that.  
  
You at least know you have control over what is here and now. So when you get up from the bench and give a farewell wave to the walking stick, you do so with the resolution to at least get a bed and a meal before you allow yourself to drift off into introspection hell.  
  
As you grow closer to the stone hill, you realize that the frequent switchbacks make the path upward a smooth, relatively gradual incline. There’s even what looks like a handrail carved out of the stone.  
  
Even underground, it seems designers have accessibility in mind. You chuckle to yourself as you ascend, looking around the cavern as your elevation increases. Most of the ground that surrounds the central hill is rough and covered with stalagmites, except for the waiting area you just left. Which makes sense, there’s a lot of area here and it would be a monumental undertaking to smooth it all out.  
  
But the purpose of this hill puzzles you. It’s very steep, requiring the path to be dug deep into its side, forming walls as tall as you are.  
  
If you had to guess, the word that comes to mind would be _fortification._ You eye the top of the hill, perfect for stationing archers and gunners who could fire down onto an attacking army. The smooth, steep stone of the hill would make it very difficult to climb, and the curving path would force attackers into a single area and slow their approach.  
  
Once again, you find yourself curious about this place’s mysterious and (seemingly) absent builders. The fact that everything so far has been carved out of the stone itself doesn’t build your confidence about finding a warm, soft bed to sleep tonight.  
And that sends you off on a mental tangent of what counts for night underground, without the sun or the moon to define such things. You suppose a watch would work to track the passing of time, but unfortunately, you don’t have one. Presumably, you’ll just need to keep going until you get exhausted and then pass out until you feel better again- which come to think of it, is pretty much what you always do anyway. At least that makes things simple.  
  
Finally, the path straightens out as you reach the top of the hill, noting the inside of the stone walls surrounding the hill have steps built into them to serve as fortifications. From up here, you can see the ceiling and walls of the chamber, but not much else. The hill’s top is quite wide, it seems. Possibly big enough to fit a soccer field atop it- but you can’t be sure of that.  
  
Because there’s another wall blocking your path, a traditional, vertical one made from stone blocks which are more than twice your height. Even with a casual glance, you can see that there aren’t any chinks or protrusions for you to climb with. It’s like each stone fits together nearly seamlessly, which raises your respect for whoever built this place another couple of notches. That must have taken serious skill. Or an unhealthy amount of time.  
  
And directly in the way of the path forward stands a tall stone door, stretching even higher than the wall around it. Its surface is not just smoothed stone, but also engraved with a series of intricate patterns and whorls whose meaning escapes you.  
  
Walking up to the door, you study its surface. It doesn’t have any handle that you can see, and it doesn’t even budge as you try pushing it inward. Most likely, it swings outward, and that would mean it can only be opened from the inside.  
  
“Hey! Anyone home!” You shout, pounding on the door with your fist. The stone doesn’t make much in the way of knocking noise, sadly, but your shouting should have attracted someone’s attention. “Anyone?” Or not.  
  
You step back with a huff, staring down your new nemesis. This door stymies your progress and tries your patience, and worst of all, the obvious solution of knocking has failed you.  
  
But before you could resort to drastic measures, you notice the strange pedestal by the door’s right side. Like everything else, it is made of stone, and about waist-height. And atop that pedestal is a stone orb, perfectly round, with a gleamingly smooth surface.  
  
You step closer and inspect the orb cautiously. It wouldn’t be too much to hope that this is some kind of fantastic doorbell? Tentatively, you reach out your hand to touch it-  
  
I am wha-  
  
You leap backward with an embarrassingly undignified shriek of surprise. Looking around frantically, you realize that there’s no one around that could have said those words. The culprit- and speaker- must be the orb.  
  
Carefully, you reach out and touch it again, bracing yourself. It ‘speaks’ in a flat, calm tone that seems to echo slightly.  
  
I am what ones such as you despise.   
We have existed from the early days of mankind, guardians of the threshold, signs of danger and opportunity to come.   
What am I?   
  
You remove your hand, and touch it to the orb again. It dutifully begins to repeat the same spiel from the beginning, which confirms that this is a prerecorded message.  
  
And not just any prerecorded message, a prerecorded mysterious _riddle_.

* * *

You look from the mysterious talking orb to the door, and back again to the orb. In this case, the difficulty doesn’t come from the riddle itself, but from your own suspicions.  
  
_Can it really be that easy?_ You wonder to yourself, mulling over the seemingly obvious answer as you stand there. On one hand, you do want to get this over with and move on. On the other, it doesn’t seem right for a situation like this to be resolved so simply.  
  
But none of that matters. If you continue to hesitate here, then the door has already defeated you.  
  
So you stand up tall, and raise your eyebrow quizzically as you speak in reply. “You’re a locked door.”  
  
There is no reply from the orb. For a moment there, you think about how silly you would look if this doesn’t work.  
  
But then, you hear a loud sound of stone grinding against stone as the doors slowly swing open. And with your first look beyond the gate, some of your suspicions about the nature of this place are confirmed.  
  
Within the walls is a small village. At least, what’s left of one after an untold time of disrepair. The buildings have collapsed, the wood is half-rotted away, and the stonework is all that’s left intact, but even that’s showing its age. Why would this place be abandoned like this?  
  
You step forward through the gate cautiously and enter this ghost town. There doesn’t seem to be anyone lurking among the empty streets or ruined buildings, which is unsurprising. You don’t think there’s a single working roof anywhere in the village.  
  
No, wait. You stand corrected. You can see a building with a red-tiled roof standing above the others in the center of the village, thanks to the surrounding buildings being little more than heaps of rubble.  
  
You find yourself drawn to this central point, intrigued by the situation. As you grow closer, you realize that it is, in fact, a small traveler’s shrine, no bigger than a toolshed. There’s no torii gate or donation box, and there’s only the one small interior room where the god is enshrined. It’s relatively simple and austere in its decoration, but that suits you just fine.  
  
Its red paint is faded and peeling, but the wood building is in remarkably good condition compared to the surrounding ruins. Presumably, that means its god is still present here, preventing it from falling into disrepair. But what kind of god would remain in a place like this that everyone else has abandoned?  
  
And there’s another thing that’s strange- there are two [komainu statues](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komainu#/media/File:China_emeishan_lion.jpg) on either side of the shrine’s door, their stone eyes wide open and their stone teeth eternally bared. Why would there be guardians here at a small shrine like this?  
  
You look inside the small room and note the stone statue inside- that is almost certainly the goshintai where the god resides. It’s an ancient carving of a man sitting on a throne, his eyes closed and his face smiling. At his feet are several stone offering bowls, long since empty.

* * *

Wait, you recognize who this god is… well, that explains a few things. At first, you had been wondering why such a small shrine, of the type normally placed by the roadside for travelers, would be in the center of a village- but this is actually a shrine to a minor god of travelers. Very clever of them, really.  
  
With that mystery solved, you resolve yourself to pay your respects, as any good shrine maiden should. Even if it isn’t a god that you personally serve, you can at least give them a small amount of your time and respect.  
  
And now that you think of it, you are a traveler right now. It wouldn’t hurt to have a small blessing for safety on the road ahead.  
You clap your hands together and bow, praying silently.  
  
Unfortunately, you don’t have any money or food to offer. That does make you feel somewhat regretful, but it can’t be helped. Maybe you could come back later… but you don’t expect to come back this way.  
  
_Sorry_ , you think as you conclude your prayer. _I’ve got my own god to worry about._ And as you lift your head and turn around, you realize that statement might be truer than you had originally thought.  
  
Because the komainu statues on either side of the shrine are now gone, leaving two empty stone pedestals behind.  
  
You reach into your sleeve, fingers gripping a sheaf of ofuda as you turn slowly-  
  
“Hey!” A cheerful voice rings out behind you.  
  
You resist the temptation to spin back around, and instead turn slowly and deliberately to see a… young girl with long green hair, leaning against the stone pedestal and smiling at you. Her sudden appearance still has you off guard, not helped by the fact that the longer you look, more and more things make it clear that she is almost certainly not human.  
  
After all, humans generally don’t have a single, wide horn growing from the crown of their heads, or large, pointy grey ears, or have skin that looks like it’s made from flesh-colored stone. Even her hair, as long and curly as it is, seems like it’s carved from a hunk of solid material.  
  
In every respect, she appears like a statue come to life. Which, considering the vacant pedestals, she presumably _is_.  
  
She pushes herself up to a standing position, takes two prancing steps forward to stand before you, and salutes sharply. A distant part of your mind notes that she’s almost a head shorter than you are.  
  
“I’ve been keeping watch, young master! Things have been peaceful so far- nothing to report!” She gazes at you, her big dark-green eyes without a hint of guile or trickery.  
  
You feel your grip relax, and you withdraw your hand from your sleeve with a sigh. “I’m sorry, but who exactly are you?”  
  
“Aw, come on!” the beast replies with a pout. “I'm Komano the komainu, of course!”

# Aunn Komano

##### The Guardian Beast Devoted to Shinto

“Long have I waited, for you! For _one_ of you- Master’s orders, of course!”  
  
“Of course.” You reply, looking the enthusiastic beast up and down. “So you’re my contact, huh. For some reason, I was expecting someone…”  
  
“Someone taller?” Aunn offers helpfully.  
  
“Sure, let’s go with that.” You shrug. “How’s the operation going?”  
  
“It’s been peaceful and quiet,” she replies in a relatively calm tone of voice, before suddenly shifting to an excited bark. “Too quiet! No one’s come by here at all!”  
  
“And by here, you mean this shrine?” You poke her statement, attempting to decipher her excited words.  
  
“Yes! No one at all!” Aunn clarifies.  
  
“That’s good to hear.” you remark, looking down the path leading out of the village and farther into the cavern. “Maybe this mission _won’t_ be a huge, convoluted pain for once. That’d be nice.”  
  
“Er… About that…” Aunn looks away, unable to meet your gaze. “No one’s come by _here,_ but…”  
  
“‘But’ what?” You press.  
  
“Well, this place is abandoned, but the rest of the Underground is _full_ of dangerous youkai,” she admits. “Everywhere else I can see, pretty much. I was too scared that they’d notice me, so I’ve just been guarding this spot...”  
  
You sigh, palming your face with a grimace. “So it’s like that, huh?” It seems like your hopes about this being a quick and easy mission just went out the window.  
  
“It’s even worse, if anything.” Aunn looks apologetic. “I’m sure you know this already, but Master just wants you to find a way out. There are a lot of them, and only one you! You’ll need to be quick on your feet, and sometimes you’ll need to fight to break through. And more than anything- you’ll need to outthink them.”  
  
“So it’s just like training all over again.” You mutter to yourself.  
  
Well. Things have certainly gotten _interesting_... and not in a good way.


	4. Chapter 4

You take a deep breath in, thinking of all your troubles and frustrations. You’re stuck underground, in a cavern that’s apparently filled with dangerous youkai. You need to make your way through this cavern to complete your mission. You’re tired, you’re getting hungry, your feet hurt, and your arm’s still injured. And your only backup, Aunn, seems like the type to run for cover at the first sight of danger.  
  
And then you breathe out, slowly. Count to four. You can do this.  
  
One step at a time, just like you were trained. “Alright, Aunn.” You state, beginning to pace back and forth as you think about what the priority is in this situation. Out of the corner of your eye, you see her straighten and stand at attention. “Earlier, you said this place is full of dangerous youkai.”  
  
“Yep…” Aunn replies, without her usual cheerful attitude. “At least, everyone else I saw looked like youkai, so there’s probably only youkai down here.”  
  
Thinking about her words, something strange becomes apparent to you. You don’t feel that Aunn’s being deceptive, but still- you need to press the issue. “So, you’ve seen several youkai down here.” You stop pacing, turning to face her.  
  
“Right, like I just said…” Aunn looks nervously back at you, probably wondering why you’re questioning her like this.  
  
“But you also told me before that you’d ‘just been guarding this spot,’ right?” You press on with your questioning. “And that no one’s been by this shrine at all and this place is abandoned- so how were you able to see those youkai then?” That seems like a logical contradiction to you.  
  
“Ah, right.” Aunn sighs. “I coulda explained this better… I’m a statue’s spirit, right?”  
  
You nod. That much was fairly obvious already.  
  
“Well, technically I’m the spirit of the _pair_ of statues, but whatever…” she mumbles quietly before returning to speaking normally. “And because there are other shrines and statues down here, I can sorta kinda connect to them if I need to- see through their eyes, and stuff like that. I think I could even actually switch myself over to another statue if I really tried to…”  
  
“But I’ve been staying here at this shrine because if any of those youkai saw me, then it’d be bad for the mission.” Her expression shifts from being in thought to uncertainty, as she glances up to you for confirmation. “A-at least, that’s what I thought… Right?”  
  
That explanation makes sense to you, and it feels good to know that Aunn wasn’t being deceptive or illogical. You’ve just gained some valuable information.  
  
So you nod. “Right. Good thinking, Aunn.”  
  
She gives you a relieved smile, inordinately happy from a small amount of praise. “It’d be good- I think- if you could avoid being detected too! If the youkai hear that you’re down here, they’ll try and block you off from the exit!”  
  
“I think you’ve got an advantage on that front…” You mutter, thinking of how you had completely overlooked Aunn when she was in statue form. “But that’s a problem for later. Can you tell me what you know about the rest of the underground?”  
  
“Right!” Aunn said brightly, drawing several large circles in the loose dirt at her feet. You lean in closely to get a better look as she sketches a name inside the first circle. “First there’s the Ruins, where we are right now.”  
  
“Right, that makes sense.” You note, looking around you at the remains of the village.  
  
“Actually, there’s a whole city further along in this cavern.” Aunn says, tracing a few quick vertical lines that could charitably be called buildings. “It’s pretty impressive, at least from what I was able to see. It’s mostly empty, but there’s a few people here and there- I saw some fairies, they’re-”  
  
“I know what fairies are.” You cut Aunn off, trying to keep frustration from leaking into your voice. You don’t know if your heart can take more of her sad puppy-dog eyes. “What else did you see in the Ruins?”  
  
“Well… I haven’t _seen_ them, but I overheard some fairies talking about some kind of guardian, I think?” Aunn scrunches her face up in concentration. “Right, a guardian of the Ruins… They’d have to be pretty tough to do that job.”  
  
“Yeah.” You remark idly. “They sure sound like someone I should try to avoid... but if it comes down to a fight, then I’ll beat them down just like the rest.”  
  
“Hopefully!” Aunn cheers, marking the far end of the cavern with a big X. Moving on to the second circle, she traces lines connecting the two. “Anyway, in the next cavern there’s this big snowy forest-”  
  
“Wait, how come there’s trees and snow underground?” You interrupt quizzically.  
  
“I don’t know?” Aunn shrugs, drawing a series of slanted, tree-like lines. “It’s magic, maybe? There’s a shrine in Snowdin Town there- because they’re always snowed in, get it?”  
  
“Snowdin, huh…” you mutter. You hate puns.  
  
“There’s also a place called Waterfall-” Aunn sticks out her tongue in concentration, drawing a third circle. “But I’m not sure where it is, exactly. There isn’t a statue there for me to see anything. And then…” she draws a fourth circle. “There’s also a shrine overlooking this huuuge lake of lava. And then the capital city’s above that… I think.”  
  
“So this mountain’s also a volcano?” You sigh. “That would have been good to know _before_ getting sent down here.” Your mind drifts back to the revelation of the snowy forest, and you wonder how those can exist side by side. “How big is this place, really?”  
  
“Well, it’s hard to really say how big this place is…” Aunn admits, rising back to her feet. “I just kinda feel the statues are pretty far apart, and that’s enough to know it’s big.”  
  
“How far is it to travel through to the exit- if you had to guess?” You ask, starting to wonder if you should have brought more food along. That is to say, any amount of food- you’re seriously getting hungry here.  
  
Aunn lets out a long breath. “Miles, easily. It’s going to be a long journey, but I’m with you all the way! I know you can do it!”  
  
And now she’s back to that state of general excitement, grin wide and guileless, her curly tail wagging back and forth… You just realized she has a tail. That’s, uh, interesting.  
  
“How long have you been down here?” You offer, trying to get your mind back on track. And considering the way she hangs on the slightest amount of affirmation from you, you find yourself wondering about some dark possibilities.  
  
“I’m not really sure… It’s kind of like being asleep, right?” Aunn says, grimacing slightly as she struggles to find the right words. “And then I just… woke up. And now I’ve been waiting here.”  
  
You make a calculated guess. “You’ve been waiting for me, then?”  
  
“Yeah!” Aunn replies, that sudden cheer blowing “You don’t have to worry about my loyalty- Master gave me this job, and I won’t fail you!”  
  
Maybe that’s why. You think to yourself as you watch Aunn continue through a long litany of boasts. She has nothing else but her role in the mission, which means she also has absolute faith in ‘Master’- and also in you.  
  
It’s strange, but you don’t dislike that attitude. You’d much rather have someone straightforward like her than a person that you can’t read at all.  
  
This moment, despite being far from home and (possibly) surrounded by dangerous youkai, feels surprisingly comfortable. You’re just about to ask Aunn about what she’s planning to do after you leave the shrine when-  
  
Tap. Tap. Tap.  
  
You hear the sound of footsteps on stone, echoing down a distant corridor. The hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.  
  
“Someone’s coming.” Aunn breathes, her eyes wide. You had already figured as much, but it’s nice to have some confirmation.  
  
Quickly, she scrambles back atop one of the statue pedestals, quickly glancing between you and the tunnel entrance connecting to the far side of the village. You can see a dim light moving through the tunnel, growing closer.  
  
Aunn adopts a crouching pose, much like the statue had originally, and shoots you a reassuring smile. “We’ll talk later, okay? You can do this. Stay determined!”  
  
And then, so fast you’d have missed it if you had blinked, the green haired girl is gone and two stone statues stand on each pedestal.  
  
With Aunn’s disguise established, you turn back to the tunnel and the approaching light.  
Briefly, you consider your options as you watch the light in the tunnel draw closer. The village’s shrine is in the middle of the straight pathway, so as soon as the interloper comes around that corner and enters the village, you’ll be in full view.  
  
Your first instinct says that you could simply move forward and come to them, but the possibility of confronting some kind of dangerous youkai arrests that feeling. You’d be giving up the element of surprise that way, and wouldn’t have much to gain in exchange.  
  
In that case, maybe you’d better hide behind a building. Getting the chance to observe the newcomer would be helpful, and maybe you could avoid being detected altogether.  
  
But you have your doubts. You and Aunn were able to hear the newcomer clearly from a long distance away, meaning that sound travels easily through these caverns and tunnels. You should assume that they already have heard the two of you talking, at around the same time you noticed their footsteps.  
  
So, they probably know that you are here already. You could hide and try to evade their search…  
  
Or you could remain at the shrine and act like you’re simply paying your respects. Gotta look the part, right? It isn’t the best plan you’ve had, but you’re already almost out of time.  
  
So you clasp your hands, bow your head, and begin to think about how to act appropriately penitent. But that’s thankfully the easy part, as your mind drifts to a long list of things you genuinely want to pray for- safe travels on the road ahead, guidance and care so that you might be able to avoid danger, for your new companion Aunn and for the rest of this mission to be successful. The gravity of the situation’s sinking in, and if you hadn’t been trained for just this sort of thing-  
  
No, there’s no use dwelling on ‘could-haves’ or ‘might-have-beens’. You let out a long breath, and recite your prayers, adding one more petition- that you would be able to have the discernment to find the truth, no matter what. It feels fitting.  
  
You don’t know how much this god will be able to help you, or even if it’s still listening at all. But maybe your prayers can still reach your god from down here.  
  
But just when you’re about to finish, you’re distracted by the sound of coins clinking against each other.  
  
You open your eyes, realizing that you aren’t alone- she stands next to you, her hands clasped and her head bowed. Her offering, two silver coins, gleam in the stone offering bowl.  
  
And once again, you are face to face with a stranger. Well, not exactly- she’s a few inches taller than you, after all. She wears a dark blue ankle-length dress with white ruffles, and unlike Aunn, she looks perfectly human. Granted, the long, silver hair with blue highlights is a bit unusual, but it’s nothing you haven’t seen before.  
  
You’re somewhat surprised that she chose to pray here instead of speaking to you, but you respect that decision. And, you don’t sense any feelings of malice or ill intent from her. You decide to wait patiently for her to finish.  
  
She finishes her prayer, and opens her eyes. And for a brief moment, an expression of shock crosses the woman’s face. Her control is good and she crushes it back down to neutral nigh-instantly.  
  
But you’re perceptive enough to notice that her very first reaction was like she had seen a ghost.  
  
“Greetings.” She says, in an even and well-practiced tone that betrays not a hint of her previous emotions. “Allow me to welcome you to the ruins- I apologize for not being here sooner, but unexpected issues delayed my usual travels to this area.”  
  
“Uh…” Her straightforward demeanor leaves you at a loss for words. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it…”  
  
“I’m sure there is much to discuss- but we should begin with introductions.” she declares. “I am-”  
  


# Keine Kamishirasawa

##### Half-hearted Historian

“-the caretaker of this place.”  
  
“Reika Sakurasaki.” You deliver your pseudonym with practiced ease. It should at least help the mission to avoid openly stating that the Hakurei are involved.  
  
“Well met, Reika.” Keine says calmly. “I was going to attend to the flowers-” You notice she wears a sturdy-looking canvas bag over her shoulder, and you can see the handles of assorted gardening tools sticking out. “But a new arrival is a more pressing matter, wouldn’t you agree?” She says with a warm smile. “The flowers can wait. You must have many questions.”  
  
She sets off walking back toward where she came from, deeper into the underground. With a start, you hurry to catch up.  
  
And she’s right about that- you do have many questions for her. Normally, you’d be willing to wait and let things become clear over time, but if she’s offering than you're happy to accept.  
You have many questions, but one of them seems to be more immediately applicable as you follow Keine into the tunnel. You may be able to answer the others on your own, but something about what she said earlier triggered your intuition, which is practically screaming ‘this is important’ at you.  
  
“You mentioned I’m ‘a new arrival’... So others have come down here, too?” You ask, mildly frustrated that from this position you can’t see Keine’s face. After all, this mountain’s been surrounded by rumors and legends- for decades at least. The most consistent part of those legends being that those who climbed the mountain were never seen again…  
  
Of course, the situation’s gotta be more complicated than that. You know for a fact that people have traveled to the top and returned safely, without seeing anything bizzare- so it isn’t like _everyone_ ends up disappearing by falling down in this cave.  
  
But you can’t discount the legends- it seems the parts about youkai and other inexplicable happenings were true, at least. It’s a good thing that you’re here, instead of some poor defenseless kid with no idea what they’re getting into.  
  
“-ika? Excuse me?” Keine snaps her fingers in front of your eyes, startling you out of your introspection-induced daze. You shake the remains of your thoughts from your head, and notice the concern in her gaze. “You just stopped moving suddenly… Are you alright? Were you injured in the fall?”  
  
You’re midway through automatically shaking your head no when you catch yourself. “Well, I did get scraped up pretty good…” is your sheepish admission. “Got my arm bruised too.” You hold that up to show Keine clearly.  
  
She lets out a hiss as she sees the purpling flesh, suddenly having closed the distance between the two of you as she turns it over and inspects it from all angles. “Can you move it properly? Is there any swelling?” She asks with an urgent but professional demeanor.  
  
“I can move it just fine!” You remove your arm from her grasp with a yank. She stares at you, an unreadable look in her eyes. You glare right back, before letting the tension flow out of your body with a sigh. This isn’t worth your energy. “It’s just kind of sore, and I’ve had worse anyway.” you admit. “Look, I’m tired and hungry, it’ll be fine after I get some sleep.”  
  
“Really.” Keine says, clearly in disbelief.  
  
“Yeah. I heal quick.” You state firmly. That’s a useful trait to have in your line of work.  
  
Keine pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs. “Alright. Once we reach my home, there’ll be a bed waiting for you. I should let you know that it is quite some distance from here, but that can’t be helped. I suppose the rest of the trials will have to wait for now…” she shakes those thoughts away, giving you a polite smile. “Your condition comes first, obviously.”  
Oh, now there’s another topic of interest- but it seems that Keine’s already started to walk and talk again, forcing you to table the issue of ‘the trials’ for later. So many mysteries, so little time.  
  
“And to answer your original question, Reika, there have been a number of other arrivals before you. Wandering souls, in search of sanctuary, who come to this place.” Keine pauses for a moment, seeming to choose her next words carefully“While I hesitate to describe them too broadly… They almost uniformly count themselves among the lost and the desperate.”  
  
“Ah.” You reply. Somehow, you feel like you’ve simultaneously learned something important and gotten even more confused.  
  
“Most of them enter as you did and travel through the ruins, so I do what I can to welcome and guide them. There have not been many as of late… In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, you are the first one in several years. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.” she says with a small chuckle.  
  
“Thank you for your generosity.” comes the near-automatic polite response. You barely pay it any mind, but it seems to have struck a nerve with Keine, who pauses mid-stride, suddenly shifting from relaxed hospitality to a kind of focused _readiness._  
  
She turns her head and locks your gaze in hers, as you slow to a halt. You straighten yourself, doing what you can to adopt a professional countenance under this new scrutiny. _What set her off?_ You struggle to understand.  
  
“Reika, I apologize if we have gotten off on the wrong foot.” Keine says, her wording just as verbose as before, but in a softened tone. “This is not an interrogation or an obligation on my part. No matter what happened before- never doubt that you are welcome here. It’s the least we can do, okay?” She punctuates the statement with another smile, this one a step wider than the polite ones from earlier.  
  
You’re momentarily at a loss for words. If you had held any doubts about her sincerity before, they’re definitely gone now. Of course she’s not explaining everything, there’s a meaning that lies behind some of her words, almost as if she expects you to be able to see through it. But the look on her face, one that holds nothing but an earnest desire to show you that she _cares_ \- you hold no doubts that this, at least, is completely genuine.  
  
And you respect that in her. You nod in affirmation.  
  
“Good.” Keine visibly relaxes, returning to her previous calm stance. “Now, I understand that we have just met, so you don’t need to answer.” she qualifies, as she begins walking again. “But… Reika, why did you come to this place?”  
  
_Hmm._ On one hand, that could possibly compromise your operational secrecy. But on the other… You look at Keine’s back as she strides forward confidently through the tunnel. She mentioned that you didn’t have to answer, so she isn’t desperate to persuade you.  
  
Also, she earned at least a small sliver of your trust by being forthright about her concern. You might as well return that trust. Something this little shouldn’t hurt, right? As long as you just keep it simple, and don’t give too much away.  
  
“I have come on a sacred mission...” You breathe out a sigh, the well-practiced words tumbling from your lips.   
But repetition has worn the meaning from those words, leaving them to ring hollow. There was a time when you took joy in your sense of duty, a kind of pride in your service. At least, there must have been, once. You can’t remember it anymore.  
  
Keine looks you over, her eyes lingering on the red and white of your miko uniform. “I see.” And that says it all, doesn’t it? She had to have noticed it before- maybe that’s why she was so surprised when she first laid eyes on you back at the shrine.  
  
“Sakurasaki… I don’t recall that name. Which shrine are you from?” she asks neutrally.  
  
Now that’s a question you _really_ shouldn’t answer. If you really wanted to remain inconspicuous, you probably shouldn’t have worn the miko outfit…  
  
But before you can think of a convincing excuse, Keine responds with a shake of her head. “I’m sorry- you don’t need to answer that- just my idle curiosity. As I said, it really makes no difference to me. Just bear in mind…” Her eyes lock with yours. “Others may not see it the same way.”  
  
“Right.” You acknowledge, still internally frustrated by your lack of certainty about anything. This situation is strange, and not in any of the ways that you’re used to.  
  
Keine is strange, too. That might be a bit rude, but… she seems human in every way, which raises questions after how Aunn said this place was filled with youkai. There’s also the supposed ‘guardian of the ruins’, which she appears to fit the role of even if she doesn’t describe herself as such.  
  
In her own words, she welcomes the travelers that come to this place. That summons thoughts of her being some kind of a social worker. She mentioned something about ‘trials’ of some sort, which sounds… interesting. Maybe all of this is just some kind of counterpart to immigration processing, it’s hard to say.  
  
You’re just reflecting on the strange situation of feeling trust toward Keine and her intentions while also not knowing why, when the two of you come to the end of the tunnel. You emerge into a tall, vertical chamber about five meters wide. There’s a small patch of grass on the floor, and looking up, you can see sunlight shining in through a crack in the ceiling.  
  
“Normally, this is where the second trial would take place.” Keine exposits. “See the wall to your right?”  
  
That’s a rhetorical question, your eyes work just fine. You look up and down its height, noting several rocky outcroppings speckled with moss and lichen that could charitably be called handholds. Near the top of the chamber, another doorway is carved into the stone, a good twenty meters higher than the floor where you stand. You see no other way to reach it besides climbing up the wall.  
  
You turn back to Keine. “Yes, I do.”  
  
“Then you understand the problem here.” Keine sighs. “This trial is a difficult climb in the best of conditions, so-”  
  
“Don’t worry.” You cut her off. “I could do something like this in my sleep.” An exaggeration, but only a slight one.  
  
“Oh?” Keine says, a bit of curiosity leaking into her voice. You aren’t sure if she says anything else after that, because your eyes are closed and you’re already giving everything you have to concentrate on getting this done right.  
  
You reach down deep inside yourself, from before your earliest memories, and grab ahold of everything that makes you _you._ Your curiosity about this situation, your frustration about the same, your impatience at this test, your gnawing hunger, and the simple joy of…  
  
You open your eyes and realize that you’re already several feet in the air, wobbling slightly as your heart flutters. Steady there, easy. Don’t think about Keine, or the wall, or what happens if you fall. Right now, there’s just you, floating through the air like a soap bubble. Even after all this time, it’s still an incredible feeling, wrapping around you like a warm blanket. It’s like you were _made_ to do this.  
  
You’ve learned that closing your eyes makes this easier. You kick off of the ground, drifting upward through momentum, feeling the sunlight shining down on you. Without you noticing, a small smile crosses your face. You open your eyes briefly to confirm one of the rock handholds is in front of you, and you grip it in both hands to push yourself further upward.  
  
Now you’re rising at a good rate, and it only takes a few seconds before you find yourself at the top of the chamber. For a brief moment, it seems like you’re going to hit the ceiling, but the momentary shock is enough to break you out of your meditative state, allowing gravity to reclaim its hold over you.  
  
For a single moment, you hang in the air, as if the world is still deciding what it should do with you. And by the time you begin to fall again, you’re already ready to land atop the climbing wall with a minimum of flailing. Not your best, but not bad either.  
  
You turn around, looking back down at the bottom of the chamber to see Keine’s reaction.  
  
She’s looking up at you, one hand shading her eyes, and mouthing something you can’t quite hear. “What?” You shout, instantly regretting it as the sound echoes through the chamber far more than you expected.  
  
Keine gestures to her right, at a small, ground-level doorway- that actually looks identical to the doorway on the ledge where you’re standing. She steps inside, and you can hear the echo of her footsteps coming from the doorway by your side.  
  
Oh, right, there are stairs. You should have seen something like that coming.  
  
Keine arrives at the top with a small smile. “Very impressive.” She applauds. You bite back the urge to blush. “Is that a special technique of your shrine, Reika?” she asks innocently, unaware of what she’s saying.  
  
You recall training when you were younger, the surprised looks on everyone’s faces. How they talked in whispers behind locked doors, about how this new prodigy would restore the clan’s honor.  
  
You shake your head no. Keine gives you a questioning look, which you deflect by turning away. “It’s just something I can do. Don’t know why.” you mumble.  
  
“I see.” Keine says. And why is it that those two words, delivered in that professional tone, fill you with frustration all over again? You squint your eyes closed, and take several deep breaths.  
  
By the time you’ve opened them again, Keine’s already moved down to the other end of the hallway. You follow.  
  
At the end is another small room, this one lit by the strange, shadowless light.  
In the middle stands a cloth dummy held up by a wooden pole. Stuffed with straw, with button eyes. Completely Unthreatening.  
  
Keine takes several deliberate steps to one side, leaving you and the dummy facing each other from across the room. “The first trial was to test your mind. The second was to test your body. The third will challenge you in a different way altogether.” She says, a twinkle in her eye.  
  
“Great.” You sigh, already thinking of several possibilities- few of them pleasant.  
  
Keine clasps her hands together, palms touching. She taps her index fingers together with an audible _click_. The dummy begins to glow. It doesn’t move, it’s just a dummy after all. But a series of white glowing pellets emerge from its body and whiz by your ear, close enough to send your hair flying in their wake.  
  
...Amended, the dummy is only Mostly Unthreatening.  
  
“So it’s a fight, then?” You turn to Keine, keeping one eye on the dummy and its faint white aura.  
  
“You have been attacked, Reika.” Keine’s face shows nothing other than professional detachment. “Keep your focus on the dummy.”  
  
You don’t need her to tell you that. Your heart pounds in your chest, but the rest of you is filled with a strange calm. That familiar feeling washes over you, and you feel the soles of your feet leave the ground slightly.  
Everything around you seems to fade away as you focus your attention. Some distant part of you is aware of Keine standing to your left, the rock walls of the room around you, and the feeling of the cool breeze on your skin. But to your higher consciousness, all of that might as well not exist. Right now, there is nothing in your world besides you and the dummy, as it dangles there. Menacingly.  
  
You spread your feet wide, sinking into a slight crouch as you watch for any sign of the dummy’s next attack. Considering it’s just hanging limply, you won’t be able to rely on reading its body movements- but the intensifying white aura surrounding it seems like a good of an indicator as any.  
  
Another loose cluster of white pellets erupts from its body, but you’re already moving to the left, covering the ground in two quick steps. The bullets miss you by a mile as they were aimed where you were just at, and travel straight down the hallway until their energy dissipates, leaving them to wink out of existence in mid-air.  
  
You’ve trained against attacks like this before, and this one doesn’t seem like much of a threat. The bullets are slow, their spread is random and not very wide, and while you had suspected that they might track your movements, that doesn’t seem to be the case.  
  
Still, you keep your distance. There’s no telling what other attacks the dummy has up its nonexistent sleeves, or if it will decide to use its previous attack in a more effective manner. You had about half a second from when it began to charge up and when it fired, which might not be enough for you to dodge at point blank range. Here at roughly five meters of distance, the travel time gives you another second, roughly, which is plenty of time to evade.  
  
Of course, you then realize that this analysis is flawed, because this fight is in a long hallway, meaning your evasion to the left just put you up against a wall. You can’t just circle around behind the dummy, so you quickly take several steps back to the middle of the hallway, staring it down and awaiting its next attack.  
  
It obliges, glowing before unleashing a similar burst of bullets. You prepare yourself to evade like before, only to be caught off-guard as their spread expands from about a foot wide to fill the width of the entire hallway. If you can’t just move out of the way entirely, you’ll just have to dodge each bullet as it comes. You plant your feet and ready yourself, eyes wide.  
  
Two bullets toward your head- you crouch, weaving to the left and the right as they pass overhead. Four at your chest- you turn to the left, facing the barrage side-on and making yourself a smaller target. Three at about knee-height- you step in and out of their lines of travel, advancing forward around them.  
  
And then you blink, eyes focusing on a bullet that’s directly in front of your head. With no time to react, you lean backwards instinctively, dodging several other bullets through sheer luck as you turn to one side and catch yourself from falling over like an idiot. With your left arm bracing against the ground, you push yourself forward into a crouching position, staring the dummy down.  
  
The attack seems to be over, but you know that your chances of dodging another one like that are slim. So you decide that you won’t give it another chance to attack. Transitioning from your crouch to a lunge is simple, as you dash toward the hallway’s right wall. The dummy finishes charging and fires, its bullets filling the air- as you kick off the ground, feeling your heart and body lighten.  
  
You aren’t focused enough to be truly weightless. Thankfully, you don’t need to be. Your jump sends you several feet into the air, as you continue to run along the wall, reaching up to touch the ceiling with your right arm. Time seems to slow as you look down at the dummy’s bullets below you that are filling the bottom half of the hallway.  
  
With one last step, your feet leave the wall, as gravity takes hold and sends you tumbling to your left. You anticipated this, of course, and push off of the ceiling with your right arm as you tumble through the air, tucking and rolling as you land on the floor of the hallway.  
  
You rise to your feet slowly and turn around, heart still pounding. You weren’t sure if that would work, after all. And it seems that you managed enough airtime to be able to flip yourself behind the bullets and the dummy as well.  
  
Considering it seems incapable of turning around on its own, using weaponry would just be overkill. So you kick the wooden stand, sending it and the dummy clattering to the ground. As it faceplants into the rock, you can’t help but think it must be feeling pretty stupid right now.  
  
“Well, that was a nice warmup, I guess.” You turn to Keine, somewhat proud of your quick thinking back there.  
  
“Very impressive.” Keine smiles warmly, and you feel your heart melt a little. “It’s clear that you’ve had experience with a ‘barrage’ style of combat before, no?”  
  
“Some training, yeah.” You admit, scratching the back of your head as you try to avoid saying too much about the specifics of that training.  
  
“My.” Keine remarks. You’re unsure if she’s surprised by your abilities or your lack of comment on them. “Well, your performance was exemplary regardless.”  
  
As the adrenaline fades, what just happened begins to sink in- specifically, how narrowly close you were to getting shot repeatedly. “Actually, doesn’t this seem a bit dangerous for a test?” You voice your concerns, remembering how a bullet nearly clipped several strands of your hair. “I barely managed to dodge them because you surprised me out of nowhere like that!” You’re getting worked up again, and you know it, and you don’t really care. This whole situation is just aggravating.  
  
“Those attacks were limited in power.” Keine replies calmly, as if your little outburst hadn’t happened at all. “If one of the dummy’s bullets had hit you, it would have stung a little- just enough to encourage you to evade them.”  
  
“So if I’d frozen up and took all those shots in the face, you’d have called the whole thing off right there?” You question. “I saw you set the dummy off back there, so it makes sense that you could shut it off too.” And Keine’s casual use of magic raises questions of its own, too.  
  
“Correct. If you had been unprepared and overwhelmed, I would have canceled the test immediately. But I had little reason to think that would be necessary. From what I’ve seen so far, you seem very capable of holding your own.”  
  
“Guess I should be flattered…” You mumble, glancing back at the dummy as it lies helplessly limp on the floor.  
  
“And the element of surprise was an integral part of the test, Reika.” Keine continues, something else lying behind her usual smile. “I apologize for not giving you more of an explanation beforehand, but the evaluation was just as much about your ability to understand and react to the situation.”  
  
“Is that right?” You ask, your tone slightly more confrontational than you had intended it to be.  
  
“Keep in mind that you will not always have the luxury of foresight or preparation.” Her words are calm, but her eyes are hard. “Hopefully, this lesson has helped you understand this well.”  
  
You nod in acknowledgment of Keine’s words. The exercise with the dummy does fit as training- but what exactly is she trying to train you for?  
  
“Good.” She says, returning to her more typical calm state, her point having been made. “Now, I need to make sure the dummy still works properly. Do you mind waiting for a minute?”  
  
“No, I don’t.” You reply. In fact, that works perfectly for you, because you need some time to yourself anyway.  
  
Keine gives a quick bow before lifting the dummy’s back upright, inspecting it closely. Normally, you’d be at least somewhat curious about how it was animated, but you have more pressing issues to reflect on.  
  
The implication of this ‘training’ would seem to be that Keine anticipates the possibility of danger or conflict. Considering that she appears to be genuine in her attitude, is simply concerning herself with your well-being. That theory works fine in that case, but you really don’t know enough to conclude anything else.  
  
Nothing that she’s said has been an outright lie, but she’s hiding a lot and dancing around your questions, to the point where what you do know about her for sure can be counted on one hand.  
  
She claimed to be ‘the caretaker’, and her gardening tools reinforce that statement.  
She’s religious, you recall her prayer at the shrine earlier. It’s hard to say what that _means_ , if anything.  
She’s concerned about you. While you could dispute this, both your reason and instincts tell you that she is genuine, at least about that.  
And she’s capable of some kind of spiritual ability, as you saw her ‘activate’ the dummy earlier.  
  
But these scattered and disparate chunks of knowledge only give rise to more questions, without knowing how or why it all connects. You don’t know why she’s living here, or what her goals are, or if she’s even working for someone else or not. She did say something that caught your attention, before… _“It’s the least we can do.”_ But did she mean a literal group, or just referring to some ‘public interest’?  
  
At the very least, you can conclude that she’s a figure of importance. Considering how she travels through the ruins, she must know a lot about the area, and the path as well. If she is the ‘guardian’ that Aunn mentioned, then that makes uncovering her secrets a priority of its own. Sure, everyone has secrets, but the way she’s been acting has your attention- ever since she first saw you and recoiled in shock. She knows something. Something big.  
  
“There we go.” Keine announces, turning away from the dummy as its white glow fades. “I’m finished here, Reika…” She pauses, seeing how you’re lost in thought. “Is everything quite alright?”  
  
It makes you uncomfortable to admit- but you can’t trust her. You aren’t in a position to be able to trust her.  
  
And, now that you think about it, neither is she in a position to trust you. You’ve been evasive about her questions as well, but that’s because you can’t risk endangering yourself or your mission. As you recall the professional demeanor that Keine displayed several times before, it’s likely that she has the same concerns that you do- even if she wants to explain herself, maybe the situation means she can’t justify doing it.  
  
You won’t know unless you confront the issue. Perhaps the two of you can find common ground because of it…  
  
“Wait.” you say, raising your hand. Keine turns from the hallway’s exit back to you, her face quizzical. Now that you have her attention, how should you approach this? If she had been willing to explain directly, she likely would have done so earlier. So perhaps you should make a concession and focus on your possible similarities.  
  
“I’m sorry for not being able to explain more about my mission.” You state apologetically. And you don’t even need to try hard at acting contrite, either. “I’m under orders, and if something goes wrong, it isn’t just me that gets in trouble.”  
  
“Is that what you’ve been worrying about?” Keine chides you with a gentle smile. “All kinds come here, for all kinds of reasons. If you do not want to or cannot say them, I have no quarrel with you.”  
  
You grimace. It seems you need to press the issue more directly. “Who do you work for, then? Why are you doing this… welcoming? These tests?” The words flow out in a rush, and it takes willpower to bite back the three or four other questions that are begging to be asked.  
  
Keine sighs. “I suppose this should be best explained like this. Why do you serve your god, Reika? Why did you agree to this mission of yours in the first place?”  
  
You aren’t the most devout miko out there, but your answer still lacks hesitation. “I swore an oath to follow her, like the rest of my family has. I believe that this mission is something important…” You recall the meeting and deliberation, now over a week ago. “And I believe that this is something that I’m uniquely capable of. Ma’am.”  
  
Keine nods. “You are here because you believe your purpose is _right._ It is not so different with me. My mission was not provided by divinity, but it is a result of my conscience and beliefs. I couldn’t sit by and watch as the people of the ruins struggled or suffered. I had the ability and the opportunity to do _something,_ and I asked ‘why should I not?’”  
  
A good response. But it brings you no closer to comprehending the situation. The underlying reason is established, but you lack the details. “So why the tests? What’s your endgame, here?”  
  
“I could ask you the same, Reika.” Keine replies, impassive and unyielding. “The tests are my creation, but they are far from absolute. All kinds come here, and it would be unfitting for me to evaluate them all in the same way.”  
  
“Alright.” You say, feeling frustration well up inside you again. “So what’s the next test going to be, then? Cardio exercise? Shogi? Or maybe…” You can’t resist a small smirk. “This whole conversation was the next test?”  
  
“Nothing quite so grandiose, I’m afraid.” Keine shakes her head. “In fact, I believe there is no need for further formal testing in your case.”  
  
“Really?”  
  
“Of course. You are in excellent physical and mental shape. You also performed excellently in the climbing exercise and the mock battle, showing that you are capable of both using force and using discretion in its use.” Her professional air relaxes. “And clearly, you find this kind of testing to be frustrating and tedious.”  
  
Oh… You didn’t even realize it, but she’s right. Your questioning of Keine does indicate that.  
  
“I believe it would be best if we parted ways for now. We will reconvene at my home, at the eastern end of the Ruins.” She declares.  
  
“So this is the last test, then?” You ask.  
  
“Of a sort. How you accomplish it will be up to you.”  
  
“What if I decide not to come?” You challenge.  
  
“If you intend to leave the Ruins and complete your mission, you will need to. It lies just before the gate to the Forest.” Coming from anyone else, there would be an air of smugness to such a statement- but to Keine, the simple fact is simply incontrovertible. “I simply have one request to make of you.”  
  
“And what’s that?”  
  
“Do not allow your mind to be trapped by presumption and hasty thinking. Things are not always as they seem…” Keine pauses. “But this you already know. I pray that you find success in your mission.”  
Keine finishes her speech and gives you an expectant look.  
  
_Well, that could have gone better_ , you think to yourself. But even though you don’t know what her plans or goals are, you feel like you understand Keine better now. At the very least, you think that your belief in her good intentions is correct.  
  
“This is goodbye for now, I suppose,” Keine says. “Through the doorway is the path leading to the rest of the Ruins. There are some diverging paths, but as long as you continue forward, you will arrive at your destination.”  
  
That’s a relief to hear. “Thank you very much for having me.” You give her a polite bow.  
  
She smiles. “There is no need to be so formal- We’ll see each other again soon enough. Don’t worry about me, I’ve traveled this way more times than I can count.”  
  
“Right.” You nod, turning to face the path ahead. There have been enough words between the two of you already.  
  
You stride ahead, without looking back. You don’t dare say anything else, because there’s so much more to be said. You don’t dare look at the expression on her face, because you’re afraid that you might lose your nerve.  
  
Even though you’ve only known each other for a short time, you feel this reluctance to leave her guidance and companionship. Unexpected, but it makes sense that you feel this way. Now, you steel yourself for the unknown that awaits you.  
  
You take heart in the fact that this is not really goodbye- that you’ll see Keine later. And when you do see her again, maybe she’ll be willing to tell you more. Maybe you can find it in yourself to do the same. Maybe.  



	5. Chapter 5

The hallway that you enter is also well-lit, in that strange manner that does not leave any shadows at all. You can hear the rushing of water in the distance. A pile of vibrant red leaves lies along one of the corridor’s walls, strangely enough. There aren’t any trees that could have provided them, unless they fell down through that hole from earlier or something.  
  
Whatever. You don’t let your questioning prevent you from playfully crinkling through the leaves, just like you used to do as a kid. Throwing yourself back onto the impromptu bedding, you let out a long sigh. How long has it been since you’ve done something like this? When did you get into the pattern of rushing from one thing to the next, without even thinking of why?  
  
This unexpectedly philosophical turn to your thoughts makes you chuckle. Being able to get out of your daily routine like this isn’t so bad. If anything, it’s almost like a vacation, except that you have a mission you need to get back to. And you don’t know what awaits you around the next corner… You don’t feel like anyone’s watching you, but you still probably shouldn’t let your guard down.  
  
Reluctantly, you pull yourself up to your feet, and give the leaf pile a reassuring pat. Several intrepid leaves cling to your clothes and hair, and you brush them off before continuing.  
  
As you continue down the hallway, you notice a doorway to your left. Of course, you enter it.  
  
It’s a small side room, with two shallow pools of water along either side, seemingly for decorative purposes. In the middle of the room, a stone bowl rests atop a pedestal. As you step closer, you can see that it’s filled with colorful objects wrapped in paper, which seems to be some unknown kind of candy.  
  
A sign on the front of the pedestal reads ‘Take one.’ You do so, unwrapping pink paper to reveal an oblong pink blob that’s soft to the touch. You sniff at it, wondering if it’s really safe to eat, before hunger compels you to cautiously bite off a small piece.  
  
You’re almost overwhelmed by the powerfully non-licorice taste that fills your mouth. Chewing slowly, you don’t notice any numbness or tingling sensations, so you pop the rest of the piece in your mouth with glee. It isn’t enough to satisfy your hunger, but it’s incredibly delicious and uncommonly refreshing. For a moment, you’re tempted to reach back into the bowl and take a whole handful, but you manage to resist. The sign says to ‘take one’, and if you do stuff your face with them you’ll just end up having a sugar crash later.  
  
A rustling sound from behind you instantly has your attention. You turn around to see a tiny face peeking from behind the doorway- a small figure, like that of a child, wide eyes gazing at you from underneath an unruly shock of pink hair. The outline of a thin, membranous wing protrudes from its shoulder, trembling slightly.  
  
This small figure must be one of the fairies that Aunn claimed to dwell here. You also remember from your instruction that fairies are childlike, prone to flights of whimsy and pranks.  
  
Your first instinct is to draw your gohei and defend ‘your’ candy, but you already resolved yourself not to take any more. And after a moment more of thought, you decide to make an offering of peace to this fairy, to see where that gets you.  
  
So, without breaking eye contact, you slowly reached your left hand into the bowl to offer it a piece of candy.  
  
And with a sharp _crack_ , your hand is repelled from the bowl just before you can touch it. It’s more the shock than the small sting of pain that makes you yelp as you leap backward. The pedestal’s sign glows, underlining its words in red. ‘Take One.’ Your eye twitches. _Okay, seriously?_  
  
The sound of high-pitched peals of laughter returns your attention to the fairy. You can see she’s abandoned the cover of the doorway as she hunches over in a paroxysm of laughter, unsure if she should point at you or at the bowl. “Hey, come on!” you protest, gesturing to the bowl and it’s odious sign. “I was trying to get one for you!” But something about her mirth feels infectious, and you realize that you’re smiling too.  
  
But either way… You look back at the bowl. That’s one heck of a security system for a dish of candy… This is totally Keine’s work, isn’t it? At any rate, this seems in character for her.  
  
Just when you were thinking through ways to possibly get around these defenses, you notice the sound of laughter has ceased. You look back to see that the fairy is nowhere to be seen. While you could just chase after her, you’ve committed yourself to this course of action and are determined to see it through. You’re getting that candy.  
  
“Okay…” You recall how the door from much earlier opened in response to your words. “I’m just trying to get a piece for... my friend...” Slowly, carefully, you reach your hand forward, in anticipation of it getting swatted away again.  
  
That doesn’t happen. Instead, your fingers simply touch against a smooth, glass-like surface that remains completely invisible. You lean in closer, and marvel at how this intricate design is unlike any seal or barrier you’ve seen before. You could just try overloading it with power and breaking it in half, but that would be messy; and it would also leave the candy undefended.  
  
You scratch your head, puzzled. Just when you’re considering if you should cut your losses and leave, a piece of candy falls from the edge of the bowl and hits the ground with a clacking sound. You scoop it up in gratitude, and make haste after the fairy- but not before giving the bowl a quick “Thank you!”  
  
But when you pass through the doorway and out into the main corridor again, you don’t see any sign of her. Your footsteps slow to a halt as you scan the area, unsure of where to even begin to look. They likely have little nooks and crannies where they, in their small stature, can fit freely, and you clearly cannot. The corridor remains barren and empty.  
  
A thought comes to mind, and you reprimand yourself for not thinking of it sooner. Closing your eyes, you take a deep breath in, before letting it back out slowly.  
  
Someone’s watching you, from behind and a bit to the left. You open your eyes, and turn to the leaf pile. This time, you can see the two tiny pinpricks of light reflecting from eyes, watching you.  
  
You look at the pair of eyes watching you from inside the leaf pile, and then back to the candy held in your left hand. Someone seems a little shy- but she’s still curious, or else she would have just kept running.  
  
You bend over, slowly reaching down to gently place the candy on the ground, several paces away from the pile. You take several steps backward, leaning against one of the corridor walls, letting yourself slide downward to a seated position.  
  
The fairy’s movement causes the leaf pile to rustle. You smile.  
  
“The candy’s for you.” You call out, resting your hands in your lap with the palms facing up, showing that you’re unarmed. From this position, it would take you a precious couple of seconds to get to your feet and close the distance to the candy.  
  
“L-like I’d fall for that!” The leaf pile squeaks angrily back. Maybe you’ve underestimated her paranoia.  
  
“This isn’t a trick, okay?” You shoot back, feeling somewhat flustered. “I just- I thought you might want some, yeah? Kids like sweets, right?”  
  
“‘M not a kid…” comes a sigh, before bubble-gum hair sticks her head out of the pile, her two pale eyes watching you judgingly. “I’m a fairy.”  
  
“Right, sorry.” You wave placatingly. “You’ve got wings, and everything...” It’s at this point you realize that you’ve failed to introduce yourself... and feel somewhat foolish for not doing so. “My name’s Reika. I’m traveling to the other side of the Ruins. What’s your name?” You ask, trying to spark the flames of conversation.  
  
“You’re new here, aren't cha?” the fairy says, extricating herself from the leaf pile. Your disappointment at having your question disregarded is tempered as you take note of her dress- its patterns and colors matching the leaf pile near-perfectly. “That’s yours?” She points to the candy, which seems lonely from its position on the floor.  
  
“It’s yours now.” You reply, noting the incredulous look on her face. “This is my first time passing through here, yes.”  
  
She steps forward, picking up the candy and observing it thoughtfully. “You only get one of these. The Guardian makes sure of it.”  
  
“The Guardian of the Ruins?” You ask, leaning forward in your excitement.  
  
“Yuh, thashh right.” The fairy says through a mouthful of candy. “Thanskh.”  
  
“You’re welcome.” You offer. You’re fairly sure that this Guardian is Keine, but something that the woman herself said earlier comes to mind- things are not always as they seem. “So what’s this Guardian like?”  
  
The fairy finishes swallowing her treat with a shudder. “Big. And stern. She gets mad if we move things around, or put hats on the statues, or touch the shrines… and it’s not _angry_ mad- quiet mad, which is way worse.”  
  
That does sound like a fair view of Keine from her perspective, you admit. “And what does she look like?” You ask. “So I can recognize her later.”  
  
“You’ll know.” The fairy sighs, folding up the wrapper and pitching it across the corridor into the leaf pile. “Oh, you’ll know. She’s got long, blue hair, and her head’s as hard as a rock…”  
  
You frown. That doesn’t seem quite right- but Keine was using some kind of magic earlier. More and more questions...  
  
“Hey, Reika.” The fairy says, looking somewhat apologetic. “Sorry, but I don’t got a name.”  
  
“Oh.” You reply, having honestly not considered this possibility. “Uh, that’s fine, don’t worry about it.”  
  
“Thanks for the candy.” She says self consciously, darting away in the opposite direction- before poking her head back around a corner. “See you…”  
  
You give her a parting wave before continuing on your way. If the rest of your encounters go like this one, well… you won’t be bored, that’s for certain.  
After that derailment, you realize that this corridor isn’t very long at all, opening up into another, more wide open area. The sound of rushing water is much louder here, and as you observe, you can see why.  
  
It has a clear source in the form of a small stream. It originates from a person-sized hole to your left, gushing water that cuts between two well-worn banks of rock and continuing into a dark tunnel to your right, that still has room for a person to walk alongside.  
The stream flows quickly and smoothly across this chamber. There doesn’t seem to be any rocks or rapids to disturb it. It looks to be about waist-deep, but it’s moving quickly enough you doubt that wading it would go well for you.  
  
Observing the stream as it flows, you find yourself with two questions. Where does the water come from, and where does it go to? The stream’s origins aren’t really accessible, thanks to the water emerging from a small hole while leaving no room for you to enter. The rock of the wall looks natural, but its placement leads you to suspect it was created artificially.  
  
So, that leaves you with the second question. You decide to follow the stream’s path and find out for yourself. Besides, settlements always require a source of water, and you suspect the same holds true while underground. You don’t know what you’ll find, but you have hopes that it will be _something._  
  
You enter the tunnel, the sound of the rushing water echoing deafeningly off the dark, damp walls. The ground is uneven, wet, and slippery, forcing you to progress slowly or risk tumbling headlong into the water. The tunnel is surprisingly wide, you note, almost double the width of the stream. It looks like the stream dug out its own channel in the middle of the tunnel, cutting through the rock for untold years.  
  
While the other paths were well-lit and mostly easy hiking, this seems rugged and inhospitable. You wonder how long it’s been since someone walked through here. Now that you think of it, maybe it would be faster to just use some kind of boat to ride the river downstream instead of walking. It’d be nice if you had one of those up your sleeves. Which you don’t. You sigh and continue walking.  
  
It’s about when you’re beginning to regret making the choice to travel this way that the tunnel makes a long, smooth turn to the right, and a light at the end comes into view. You’re heartened by the sight, even knowing that it’s still just the artificial lighting and you are a long distance underground. The sound of water crashes in the distance- nothing like the gurgling sound of the stream by your side. This is louder, deeper.  
  
And all of that is forgotten as you emerge into the light of the largest cavern you’ve seen yet- although that description doesn’t do this place justice. The room with the village ruins from before was huge, wider than a football field or two. This… this massive _space_ dwarfs that to a degree that you can’t even begin to guess at all.  
  
The ceiling houses stalactites wider than houses, and the floor below you is packed full of a dense forest of pale white stone buildings that seem to be in varying levels of disrepair. Both of these features stretch off into the distance, far away that the light doesn’t reach and you can’t make out where they end and the cavern walls begin.  
  
And you are in between the ‘sky’ and the ‘earth’, emerging from the tunnel onto an elevated bridge of that same white stone that must be at least double the height of the nearest buildings. Looking over the edge gives you an incredible view of the rooftops below, but also makes your head swim from the precipitous drop that awaits.  
  
The stream continues, flowing through a channel carved in the middle of this bridge- no, this _aqueduct_. Water drips and gushes from cracks in the structure here and there, staining the stone with a dark green. In the distance, closer to what seems to be the middle of the city, the dull roar of the water grows louder. A cloud of mist hangs in the air ahead.  
  
All the signs point toward there being a waterfall ahead, you conclude as you continue to walk forward along the aqueduct. Although, you’ve never seen one from this position before. And you find yourself glad you didn’t try floating downstream, for obvious reasons.  
  
You continue forward, mostly because you don’t have any other way to go. Examining the structure, you don’t see any stairs or ladders that would allow you to descend safely, as the aqueduct is held up by smooth, sheer pillars of stone. It seems as if you’ll need to go back the way you came and find another route… or you could just use your power and _float_ down, you realize with a sigh.  
  
Looking over the edge at the distance between you and the closest rooftop, that proposition becomes increasingly unnerving. You require concentration and peace of mind to _float_ , and the wordless screaming in the back of your head as you stare into the abyss below is not really conducive to either of those.  
  
You aren’t scared of heights- at least, not more than any sane person is. The instinctual response, beneath your conscious understanding, is to preserve your life by avoiding a fall that would mean certain death for nearly anyone else.  
  
Internally, you’re debating if your power will be able to overcome your instinctual fear, when you hear a sound over the distant pounding of the waterfall. A high-pitched voice, barely louder than a whisper, drifts on the winds.  
  
You look down and to the right, at an intact rooftop with metal chairs and tables strewn about, like a small cafe that had been scrambled by a cyclone. One of the larger tables is intact, surrounded by stuffed animals in chairs, with a small child seated at its head.  
  
The child looks up at you, their blond hair the only feature you can make out from this distance. They wave with both hands, before pointing to an empty chair at the opposite side of the table.  
  
You gauge the distance to the rooftop. It’s a tall building, so it isn’t _that_ far down.  
  
_Well, there’s no time like the present_ , you think to yourself as you see the precipitous drop in a new light. The aqueduct is a dead end, and you can’t see any other way down. You might as well jump.  
  
If you hesitate, then you have already been defeated in the most important place- inside your own mind and heart. And besides, who wants to die of old age, anyway? Not you, that’s for sure. You aren’t suicidal, or eager to throw your life away- this is a calculated risk.  
  
And you take a deep breath in, closing your eyes. If you hesitate, allowing the instinctual fear of the fall and potential death to fester in your mind, then your power will fail you and you will certainly die. The only thing you have to fear, is fear itself. The corners of your lips turn upward slightly at that thought, as you allow yourself to lean forward, slowly toppling headfirst into the open air.  
  
This is an exercise you’ve practiced before, back when you were younger and still eagerly exploring this strange ability of yours. Letting go, and letting the sensation of the fall control you, fills you with adrenaline and focuses your mind. Which means that it’s actually much easier to start floating than if you were, say, simply standing on the ground.  
  
Of course, you did take several bad falls back then, and it was a long time before you felt safe enough to jump from anything higher than the shrine’s offertory box, but the principle holds solid. And just like everything else that relates to your power- it feels _right._  
  
So as you open your eyes- the wind beginning to sting at them as you accelerate, the buildings below you a shaky white/grey blur- there is fear. But that fear is sublimated into that thrilling feeling you know all too well-  
  
And you gain that soap-bubble feeling of drifting again, rolling end over end as you bleed off momentum before finally slowing to a halt, feet down and head up. You’re still descending, but it’s at a slow, drifting speed rather than a plummeting fall, as you metaphorically thumb your nose at gravity. Yeah, suck it. This probably says something about your character, but honestly, you really don’t care what that might be. You are who you are, and who you are happens to be a floating shrine maiden.  
  
You’re veering off to the left, so you concentrate to steer yourself back toward the rooftop that you plan to land on. Now that you’ve descended a good hundred meters, you can make out the table setting in actual detail now- eight chairs, half occupied with stuffed animals of various colors, and… a blonde-haired girl at the head, shading her eyes with her hand as she stares up at you.  
  
Feeling self-conscious, you smile back as the angle of your descent becomes shallower and shallower as you come in for a landing. With one last drop, just like stepping off a curb, you release your power and touch down at the foot of the table.  
  
Letting out a deep breath, you spread your arms wide, basking in the imaginary applause from an imaginary audience. After all, that was fairly impressive, if you do say so yourself. Of course, the stuffed animals and empty chairs fail to provide you with the response you truly deserve, but then again, you can’t really hold that against them.  
  
The girl at the head of the table lets out a sigh as she returns to her seat, reaching for a sturdy-looking green cup before her and taking a long sip. She wears a blue sundress over a ruffled white blouse, and a light blue bow in her hair- she can’t be much more than ten years old.  
  
“Well, that was certainly a bold jump,” she states in a high, almost chirpy voice, as she lowers her cup and opens her eyes. They’re an unusual shade, somewhere between bronze and gold, but her demeanor seems to be calm and somewhat curious. Her gaze isn’t warm, but it isn’t really cold, either.  
  
“I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting you to just g _o_ for it like that, but as long as it works, right?” She gives you a small smile, and you produce another one in return.  
  


# Alice

##### Little Girl?

  
“Well, I was trying to find a way down anyway.” You explain, noting her lack of reaction to the use of your power. “But I couldn’t find one.”  
  
“Right, the stairs are in the central tower.” She replies, snapping her fingers as she recalls. “Or, they _were_ in the central tower, before it collapsed. I was worried that I’d have to catch you, but you had it handled.”  
  
You shoot an incredulous glance at her prepubescent frame and willowy arms, wondering if she could even lift half your weight. But Keine’s words also come to mind- _things are not always as they seem._ You don’t feel like you’re in _danger_ here, but...  
  
“Would you like to sit down?” She asks.  
  
You nod, pulling out the closest chair for yourself as you sit at the table’s foot. This too, is part of your mission after all. Taking stock of your surroundings, the table has several other cups placed before the empty chairs, whatever drink within them having long since gone cold. Alice herself sits behind a small pile of books, a broad sketchpad opened in front of her, and a thick doorstopper bound in ancient leather off to her left.  
  
“So, what’s your name?” Her question is almost flippant in tone as she draws a pen from a pocket, twirling it between her fingers.  
  
“Reika Sakurasaki, traveler.” You respond.  
  
“Alice… artist.” She returns, choosing her words carefully. “You’re new here, aren’t you? I’m afraid I don’t recognize you.”  
  
“Correct.” You admit with a shrug. “I just got here today, actually. It’s been…” You struggle to find the right words to avoid insulting Alice’s (presumed) residence, who waits expectantly. “Interesting...”  
  
“That it is.” Alice chuckles. “The Ruins might not be ‘lively’, but at least they’re never truly dull.” She takes another look at you, leaning forward in interest. “Actually, if you don’t mind, may I ask you another question?”  
  
“Go ahead.” You shrug.  
  
“Are you actually a shrine maiden, or is that just some kind of cosplay?” She asks, her face serious.  
  
You blink. A long moment passes.  
  
Alice glances away first, her cheeks colored pink. “Not that I think there’s anything _wrong_ with that sort of thing…”  
  
“Here.” You sigh, reaching into a sleeve and withdrawing one of your ofuda, setting it to face up on the table. “Does this answer your question?”  
  
She pulls it over to her, scrutinizing it intensely before looking back up at you with a flat expression. “This is just a piece of paper with ‘loads of money’ written on it.”  
  
“Hey, it doesn’t really matter what you write on ‘em!” You throw your arms up in protest. “They still work just fine!”  
  
“I’ll take your word for it,” Alice replies, sliding the ofuda back across the table to you with a flick of her finger. “After all, I’ve never met a shrine maiden before.”  
  
“Really?” You find that- well, not really improbable, but somewhat unlikely. Aunn did mention there were several shrines down here…  
  
“Although…” Alice looks lost in thought. “It’s possible I did meet one out of costume and didn’t know it.”  
  
“It’s a uniform, actually.” You reply, arms folded. Normally you’d be willing to just let this go, but something about being doubted like this prickles at you. “And it’s been passed down through the Ha… our family line for generations.”  
  
“So which one of your honored ancestors came up with the whole detached sleeve thing?” Alice asks, raising an eyebrow quizzically.  
  
“You…” You growl without any real malice as she stifles a laugh. Somehow, she’s gotten you caught up in her pace. Or maybe your participation in this little routine says more about you… When’s the last time you exchanged banter with someone else?  
  
“Anyway.” Alice flips her thin sketchbook over, bracing it against the table and putting pen to paper. “While it’s been a pleasure, my tea’s gone cold _and_ I still haven’t finished what I came here for.”  
  
“Ah, that’s fine.” You say, moving to stand up. “But real quick- do you know which way leads to the eastern part of the ruins?”  
  
“Shh… don’t move.” Alice mutters, glancing back and forth between you and her sketchbook.  
  
“What?” You blink, sitting back down. “Is something-”  
  
She repeats the message by putting a finger to her lips, without lifting her eyes from the paper. Her pen flits and dances over the page at an almost frightening pace. You do your best to remain still, with your hands clasped in your lap, but then you find yourself unsure what to do with your face. You’ve always struggled with smiling for pictures, so you simply try to remain relaxed.  
  
As you look for something to distract yourself from the slight and growing awareness of your body, your eyes light upon Alice as she works, those eyes of her glinting with light as she looks at something only she can see. Even when she looks up to observe you, it’s like she’s staring past you, unnoticing of how your gaze is fixed on her.  
  
Several minutes pass by before you even realize it. “There we go.” Alice sighs, rolling her wrist as she puts the pen down. “Sorry for that- move as you will.”  
  
“Did you just- draw me?” You ask, not sure if you should be offended or not.  
  
“I did a _sketch_ ,” Alice corrects with a long-suffering air, “A very rough one. It’d take much longer for a true portrayal…” Her look of concentration fades away, and she gives you a sheepish smile. “I just didn’t want to let the moment slip away.”  
  
You aren’t really an artist, but you can understand that sort of feeling. “Oh, no worries.” you wave it off.  
  
“Do you want to see?” Alice asks, laying the sketchbook flat on the middle of the table. You reach out and pull it closer, turning it upright. She continues to watch you with her head braced on her arms, which is why you do your best to prevent a look of shock from reaching your face.  
  
Because the drawing is, frankly, pretty unnerving. The majority of the page is drawn in greater detail, showing the table from Alice’s perspective. A tall man in a hat, an older woman with a warm smile, and what looks like a stuffed rabbit come to life sit at the table strewn with delicacies, engaged in a lively discussion. You can admire Alice’s ability here. Despite using a fixed line width, the amount of detail and vibrancy oozing from each character is impressive. Possibly even awe-inspiring.  
  
But then all of that has been half-scribbled over… No, that’s not entirely correct. These newer lines are loose and hurried, but they all point inwards, converging and revealing the new drawing like an optical illusion as you continue to stare. A shadowy silhouette sits at the foot of the table, the barest outline of a head and shoulders the only thing that marks it as human. The shading makes it seem as if all the light in the drawing is being sucked away into it\- or that its presence itself brings an impenetrable darkness. Two empty white spaces serve as the figure’s eyes, their blank, hollow gaze betraying nothing.  
  
...What. The. Hell.  
  
You pass the sketchbook back to Alice, making a definite effort to keep your hand from shaking as you do. Looking up, her gaze bores into yours as the shadow’s did. It isn’t glaring or demanding or smug or any of those other things- just patient. You get the feeling that if you don’t act, this moment could drag on forever.  
  
And we can’t have that.  
You catch yourself staring into space blankly and shake yourself out of it. In a brief scrambling panic, you reach for the first way out that comes to mind. _Complement her- it isn’t a lie because she really is..._  
  
“You’re… very talented, Alice.” You manage to choke out, only really succeeding because you have to.  
  
“Skilled? Probably. Talented? I’m not so sure I believe in talent.” Alice replies, picking up the sketchbook and examining it briefly, before looking back to you. “I wasn’t born with a pencil in hand. And I certainly wasn’t this good starting out. It isn’t about what you’re born with or given by the gods, it’s about what you do with it. Enough practice and using your brain can outdo any amount of talent that’s been neglected and misused.”  
  
Her voice raises as she continues to speak. “Talent without hard work is _nothing._ When’s the last time you drew anything?” She asks, twirling her pen around to point at you (accusingly?).  
  
“Uhh…” You sweat, honestly unsure. “It’s been years, at least. I doodled as a kid, you know… like everyone else.”  
  
“There you have it.” Alice sighs. “The only difference is that I _didn’t stop_. I struggle and obsess over it Every. Single. Day.” She punctuates her words with the tap of her pen on paper, eyes blazing with passion. “Drawing is the hardest thing I do, and it hasn’t gotten any easier. But it’s much easier to believe in the power of talent, isn’t it? If you accept that some people are special and have things easy, that’s an excuse for you to avoid admitting to yourself that you _can_ do it. If you never have to try, you’ll never fail. So you go on about your life, looking at what other people do, thinking to yourself ‘I wish I could do that’- because the possibility of hope makes you even more afraid.”  
  
As her rant continues, you feel miffed that she didn’t just accept your compliment. But on the other hand, she makes an interesting point- even if you don’t agree that it applies to all issues. There are certain things that only certain people can do. That doesn’t make that thing or person more inherently worthwhile… But that’s a whole other story.  
  
Across the table, Alice seems to have come to a similar realization as she awakens from her thoughts with a quiet “Ah.” She smiles sheepishly. “Apologies for rambling, that’s a bit of a familiar subject for me.”  
  
“No, it’s fine.” You reply, choking down a half-finished thought about your own opinion- as a person with very unusual talents. You can’t afford to let too much spill this early.  
Alice notices the look on your face, and you notice that she notices that you notice. She gives a small shrug and decides on changing the subject. “Anyway, I’m flattered that you liked my drawing so much. Thank you.”  
  
Looking for something to occupy yourself with, you glance at one of the mugs of tea next to your place. Alice gives you an affirmative nod, and you pull it over to you gratefully.  
  
“But…” she taps her chin with her index finger, making a show of trying to recall something. “I’m a little surprised that you didn’t ask what that strange shadow thing was.”  
  
You chose the wrong time to take a drink, spewing a mouthful of cold tea everywhere. Coughing the liquid out of your lungs, you try to dry the table with your sleeve, shooting a nonplussed Alice a glare.  
“Are you _trying_ to mess with me?” You croak, coughing again.  
  
“No, not at all.” Alice replies demurely, setting the sketchbook down with a slapping sound. “I’m succeeding at it, though.”  
  
A red-hot jet of emotion floods your mind. “Why?” You say through grit teeth.  
  


bgm - [Calling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8OwW_Summ4)

  
“Because… before, when you got up from the table, I _saw_ something.” she whispers, staring at something that now only exists in her mind’s eye. “And from the look on your face, I can tell you had the same reaction to it that I did.” A deep, foreboding silence falls over the table.

“Why didn’t you say something instead of doing the whole drawing thing?” You ask. Your fingers curl as their nails dig into your legs, the small jabs of pain bringing their own kind of focus.

“Because some things have ways of making you forget.” Alice says, her face drawn tight. “Right now, that picture is the only reason we saw it as anything but a flicker of the light."  
With that statement, a sense of foreboding settles over the scene. You can feel its weight palpably.

"As much as I’d like to just close the book on it and never speak of this again, it wouldn’t be right." Alice continues. "I’d always be wondering what if, or why, or… a lot of other things.”

“Alright. Fine.” You brush your anger, confusion, and frustration away in a well-practiced action. Back to business. “So what _was_ that thing sitting at my place, then?”

“I’m not sure.”

“You don’t know _anything_?” Okay, so maybe you didn’t manage to get rid of all of your frustration.

“I... see things.” Alice says, frustration knitting her brows as she attempts to pack an excessive amount of meaning into that tiny phrase. “And the vision was just for a slight moment- it’s gone now. I can’t know what it was, or why it appeared. So this-” she gestures to the drawing with her pen- “-isn’t really what I saw, it was just the best depiction I could do.”

“You haven’t seen anything like that before?” You sigh, leaning back into your chair, lost in thought. “And you don’t know what it means.”

“No, I don’t think so. But there _is_ a meaning, I know that much.” Alice concentrates, glancing upward as she tries to recall something.  
“ _The Sight formed in Ink  
Ink builds a Drawing  
And to Draw is to weave magic…”_

“Or, it’s something like that… I might be misremembering, here and there.” She shrugs, opening the sketchbook to an earlier page. It’s adorned with colorful shapes and whorls- and as you continue to stare, they slowly resolve themselves into a rendering of the skyline of the ruined city. Its buildings shimmer in the air like a mirage, but they seem to be real, solid objects beyond that haze... until you blink and the illusion is broken, returning them to the flatness of the page.

You’re beginning to understand. “So you don’t just draw, then.” You state, thinking of how many other drawings that sketchbook contains- a veritable arsenal of power.

“No more than you ‘just’ fall through the air.” Alice’s sharp tongue flashes (metaphorically) as she replies.

Beyond a feeling or intuition, this is now knowledge: she is not normal. Then again, neither are you. A pattern seems to be emerging here…

“Anyway.” Alice stacks her sketchbook atop her leather tome, reaching for the last of her tea and draining it in a single draw. “There isn’t much else we can do about it here, and it’s getting late. The party’s been over for a while now.” She turns to address the stuffed rabbit in the chair to her left. “Give my regards to the Admiral… I hope he gets feeling better soon.”

Of course, there’s no response. You recall her drawing of the tea party’s participants from, connecting it to what she mentioned about seeing things. Most of the possibilities that come to mind don’t fill you with confidence, but if it isn’t your problem, then you sure aren’t going to make it yours.

Alice pushes out her chair and gets to her feet, and you do so likewise. “You mentioned you’re heading east, right?” she asks.

“Yeah, I did. In fact, I’m trying to get to Keine’s place. Do you know where that is?” you ask.

“What a small world.” She mutters, tucking her books under her arm. “That’s right by where I’m going. We should stick close, in case it decides to show up again.”

“Don’t even joke about that…” You shiver. The thing that makes you the most afraid isn’t the darkness, or the unknown even. It’s how it was apparently right next to you and you didn’t even notice. Your intuition would have warned you if you were in danger… right?

“Understood.” Alice waves you off. “Let’s go.”

But halfway across the roof, you both stop. “Actually, now that I think about it…” Alice pauses and withdraws a thick, red ribbon with white lace around the edges from another unseen pocket. “You should probably have this. I’ve already got one-” she gestures to the blue one in her hair- “so you need it more than I do.”

“And why would that be?” You reply, somewhat bemused.

“If you’re cute, people won’t hit you as hard.” She replies, her tone asking ‘are you an idiot?’

As you look from its red fabric back to her patient gaze, you consider the possibility that you, in fact, are.

A moment passes before you discard your hesitation; you have no reason not to accept her gift.

“Thank you very much, Alice,” you say politely, taking it gently from her hand and loosely knotting it around your ponytail. That’s good enough for now, you’ll worry about how it looks on you later.

“You’re welcome.” She replies, turning on her heel as she strides for the stairwell’s door. You hurry after her- making one last quick glance at the table behind you, still strewn with the detritus of the tea party.

“Is it really fine to leave the table like that?” You question, falling in beside Alice as you enter the stairwell and begin to descend. The cracked and darkened stone of the building’s interior is streaked in silent shadows, bursts of light peeking in through small windows.

“We had the rooftop reserved, the staff will take care of it.” She assures you.

“The staff?” You question, having assumed that the party was an impromptu affair from the rundown look of the situation.

“This is LeBlanc, one of the few restaurants in the Old Town.” Alice elucidates. “I don’t think you would have seen the sign, considering your... unusual means of arriving.”

“Come on, I thought we were over that jump already…” you grouse without any real vitriol. “I had things handled.”

Alice replies with a wry smile. She pushes a door open with a loud creak as you leave the staircase behind, entering a darkened storage room that looks like it hasn’t been cleaned since before you were born.

It’s only then that your mind catches on a thing that she said before. ‘ _We had the rooftop reserved.’ Who’s we_?

“Wait.” Alice freezes mid-stride, slowly setting her right foot down as she gestures with her arm outraised to block your path. You do so, glancing quickly around for- you aren’t sure, really.

But there is nothing but moldering crates and worn-out chairs to be seen. The muffled sound of conversation, laughter, and jazzy music drifts from beyond the wall; you hear nothing else except for the quiet sound of your breath.

“We’re being watched.” Alice says, a bit too matter-of-factly for that kind of proclamation.

“That  thing again?” You hiss, some unnamed instinct urging you to keep your voice low.

“I don’t know.” she lets the tension flow out of her, letting out a long sigh. “Whatever it is, it’s gone now.”

“Let me know if you see  it  again.” You declare, feeling the crinkle of your ofuda’s paper between two fingers. “If  it  tries anything, I’ll seal  it  in a flash.”

“Hmm.  It’s being really evasive, though… maybe  it’s just shy.” Alice shrugs.

“Seriously?” You groan.

The glare she gives you indicates that yes, she is.

“Without knowing what the apparition was or what  it  wanted, we can’t assume anything else.”

“Then why did  it look like that, then?” You challenge.

“As I said, we can’t assume.” Alice says. “And besides, that might not have been  its  true form. Think of how you cast a shadow under a light. It looks like you and moves when you do, but it isn’t you.”

“So, you think  it’s like some kind of shadow?”

“That’s what I assume.” Alice corrects. “It’s only there for a split second, that’s not long enough for me to see it clearly.”

You don’t reply. This whole situation has you on edge. That  thing  is… not right. It reminds you of something, some feeling you can’t quite put your finger on. You don’t know how or why, but it felt like something that was hollowed out, a hole in the shape of a person. You’d rather fight an army of youkai than confront that feeling of emptiness again.

“The exit’s this way.” Alice says, stepping to another door with a thin crack of light shining beneath it. She swings it open, widening that crack into a thick shaft of light that cuts through the darkness of the room. Utensils clinking on plates and people talking sound louder now, echoing in your ears.

Once again, she leads the way. Once again, you follow, somewhat sheepishly. The restaurant's main floor is bathed in amber light. Tables crowded full of chairs, strewn with drinks and pastries and other things you don’t recognize at a glance. A bar rests along one wall, the polished wood counter a contrast to the rundown architecture everywhere else.

You note the source of the music; a three piece band plays in one of the corners. A piano, a violin, and a trumpet- you aren’t a musical expert, but you don’t think those typically go well together. But they manage to make it work, the music filling you with a strange sensation that-

Alice snaps her fingers in front of your face, startling you out of your reverie.

“You okay?” She asks, standing closer as she stares into your eyes.

You reflexively glance away from that amber gaze that bores into your soul. “Yeah, I’m fine.” You mumble non-committally. You just want to- want to what? To have a seat? A drink? To relax?

To get out of here, right now?

“Can you hear me?” Alice speaks again, her voice muffled like she’s underwater. You see her face distorting and rippling, you can barely keep your eyes open. “Come on, this way…” Something warm wraps itself around your hand, and it’s all you can do to keep yourself from jumping in shock. You’re gently tugged forward, and you proceed on hesitant, small steps. The ground beneath your feet feels uneven and unreal.

This place is, and has been, empty. The chairs are unfilled, and yet there isn’t a seat left in the house. The instruments are abandoned, and yet they still play on. You don’t know how you didn’t see, didn’t comprehend this at first. It was the first thing you noticed, so why...

“Is your friend okay, sweetie?” comes a whisper in a concerned tone.

“She’s not feeling well, she’ll be fine-” the reply continues, but you cannot hear any more of it.

Something is working its way into your mind. The room is filled with an oppressive sense of unlife.

Reimu, it’s okay.  
Some _thing_ says.

But you do not LISTEN!

With a strangled cry, you pull your hand free. The world is revolving around you, the colors blurring together, the sounds pierce your ears. You feel a great weight pressing down on you, being crushed as the walls collapse and the floor gives way.

But you will not bow.

You are Reimu Hakurei. You will shatter this lie!

The paper of your ofuda crumples in your hands, and you cling to it as your lifeline. No ritual or chant escapes your lips. But even still, it begins to glow with a bright, pure power. Your power.

You clutch that glowing light to your chest, and let out a nameless cry. And the light begins to expand, swallowing up everything.

For one brilliant moment, you float. Everything and everyone fades away, the only thing that remains is that light that returns peace to your mind and calm to your heart.

But the moment is gone all too soon, as the light fades. The scorched scraps of paper fall between your fingers, the release of energy proving too much for the ofuda to remain intact. That’s okay, you have plenty more.

You can see clearly now. Your feet rest on solid ground. This room is empty, what you had been seeing was just a trick of the mind. The tables are overturned, the wooden counter is moldering away, a thick blanket of dust covers everything. This once-restaurant is just another ruin in a city of ruins. Whatever was responsible for disrupting your psyche has ceased. Now, you see the truth.

A long, fear-drenched silence hangs in the air. “Does not understand…” a distant whisper echoes.

Taking in a deep breath, you cough on the stale and dusty air. The particles swim in the shafts of light from the boarded-up windows.

Gradually, you recall that you aren’t alone in this situation. Alice stands several feet away, holding her thick, leather-bound tome before her face like a shield. Those amber eyes glare over the top of the book, her brow furrowed.

She will want to have words with you. That’s fine. The feeling is mutual.

“Why did you-”/“What was that-” you both speak at the same time, cutting each other off and waiting for the other to proceed with a growl of frustration.

“This is all part of your show, isn’t it? You’ve been having a great time making everyone dance to your strings, huh?” You spit.

“What?” The frustration on Alice’s face melts away to be replaced by utter bafflement.

“That drawing of that thing, the whole spiel about shadows, those visions, this is all you!” You press on, bolstered by all your frustration and fear. “You’ve just been playing with me this whole time! Why!”

“That’s not true.” Alice says, eyes hard. “I’m not ‘playing’ at all.”

“Oh yeah? Why should I believe you?” You challenge.

“Do you really think I would want you to blow up one of my favorite places, Reika? What do I gain from all this?”

“That’s what I want to know.” You say. “What just happened back there? Something was getting _inside_ my head-”

“That... was an accident.” Now her facade shows a chink, a flash of genuine contrition behind that stoic exterior. She’s telling the truth- or she thinks she is. “I didn’t think you would be affected, I thought I could get you out when I saw you were-”

“Affected by what?” You’re growing desperate now. Anger gives way to the fear that created it, the fear of what you don’t know.

“Not here, and not now.” Alice says. Before you can open your mouth to protest, she cuts you off with a finger to her lips. “We’re not alone, remember?”

Even as your anger brings an invective to your lips, you realize that she speaks truth. You can feel the prickles of hidden eyes boring into you. You are being watched. Between your return to lucidity and your shouting match with Alice, you were distracted. Now the sensation is unmistakable.

You don’t feel hostility. If anything, the unseen watchers feel cowed, afraid of something. But that doesn’t ease the tension and uncertainty.

You take a deep breath and push that feeling aside. You need to focus on what’s at hand. “No offense, but I’m not so sure about following you after last time…”

“None taken. I’ll let you go first?” Something like a smile returns to Alice’s face.

You shrug, pushing the wrecked front door open with a creak. “Do you have a place in mind?”

“East. Away from here.” Bitterness leaks into her voice, you can’t be sure if it’s directed at you or herself.


	6. Chapter 6

The buildings are lower here, the architecture more familiar to you. An antiquated style, much like that of the ruined village.  
  
While your neck is beginning to sting from all the craning you’re doing, soaking in the foreign sights with wonder, Alice strolls along casually, arms folded behind her head. She takes in the scenery with the casual leisure of the familiar and bored.  
  
“This is Old Town.” she explains. “Originally this was the entire city, before they kept expanding and expanding. Oni don’t really do things halfway.”  
  
“Oni?” You glance back to your companion. You shouldn’t be surprised by that possibility, but it is worrisome. You’re familiar with what Oni are and what they like to do.  
  
“Nervous?” Alice grins. “Don’t be. They moved out of this place along with the others, way back before I fell down.”  
  
“I wasn’t nervous.” You protest.  
  
“Don’t feel bad, okay?” Alice says. “Everyone thinks Oni are pretty scary, even when they aren’t trying to be.”  
  
You think of how that statement could apply to several people at the moment. The unspoken corollary also comes to mind; someone can easily be dangerous without trying.  
  
The urge to change the subject arises. And you have questions in need of answering. “So do you want to explain what happened back there now?” You ask.  
  
Alice turns to you, lips set in a firm line. “We entered the bottom floor, and you saw something. Correct?”  
  
“Not just saw, I heard things too. There was music playing…” Strangely, it’s hard to remember what the illusionary restaurant was like now. Its memories fade away and slip through your fingertips like dreamsmoke. “Everything was bright and new, and broken and empty.” Your words contradict each other, but you know that is what you saw.  
  
“But it wasn’t empty, right?” Alice said, an odd smile on her face. “The ruins were empty. But the restaurant was full.”  
  
“But I thought… I felt something, working its way into my mind.” You try to explain, lacking the words to express that sickening feeling of contradiction. “The ruins were real, but the restaurant was an illusion, made by something."  
  
“It isn’t really an illusion… It’s like a mirror, right? Except what you see on the other side isn’t the same as this side.” Alice says.  
  
“Doesn’t that defeat the point of a mirror?” You say.  
  
“It’s just a metaphor, Reika.” Alice rolls her eyes. “And to continue the metaphor, I didn’t know that you would even see the ‘mirror’ at all. Shrine Maidens must be incredible mediums.”  
  
The situation still seems complicated, but you believe that Alice is telling the truth. “You didn’t think there would be a problem.” You say, more a confirmation than a question.  
  
“I would have warned you properly if I had.” Alice says. “But that isn’t what happened. You realized the other side, you panicked, and smashed the ‘mirror’ to pieces.”  
  
“Hey, it was a pretty scary thing to happen out of nowhere like that…” You protest to defend yourself. “It was like… up was down- everything just felt _wrong._ ”  
  
“That’s perfectly understandable.” Alice replies without judgment or condescension. “It was fortunate that no one got hurt.”  
  
You begin to reply in agreement when you put the pieces together. Alice was already aware of the existence of the restaurant. She wasn’t surprised at all by your description or reaction to what you had seen. She was worried by the situation, but if anything, it was about you.  
  
Distantly, you recall her tea party on the rooftop, with its empty chairs. Chairs that had seemed empty to you.  
  
“You see the other side, then?” You ask.  
  
“All the time.” She replies calmly.

She is strange. There are many other thoughts you find yourself struggling with now, but they all are subordinated to that revelation (that distraction, which you are somewhat grateful for). Alice is a person with strange abilities, connected to her sight.  
This likely explains the unease you’ve felt around her, despite her lack of ill intent or deception.

She knows more. You decide to dig deeper. “So what about you, then? I’m already a shrine maiden, but what makes you a…” You aren’t sure what word she’d use to describe it. “A medium?”  
  
“That’s as good of a name for it as any.” Alice says, looking relieved to be discussing this somehow. “And to answer your question… it’s just something I’ve been able to do. When I was really little, I didn’t know that other people couldn't see the old man with the pipe, or the little dog playing in the field. It took me a while to really think about why.”  
  
“That must have been scary for you.” You say.  
  
“Not really. It was just…” She tries to find the right word. “Really strange. I didn’t even have the words to explain it, people just thought I had a lot of imaginary friends. Looking back on it now, some of them had to have been lingering spirits, and some of them were… other things.”  
  
Alice sees the look on your face and continues hastily. “None of them were bad to me, really. It was a quiet town, no matter which side you lived on.”  
  
She sighs. “But it did bother me, not being able to explain it to other people. That’s one of the reasons why I started drawing, I guess. So I could show people what I see.”  
  
Alice is strange; you now know how and why. And you wonder, so what? You aren’t really one to talk, being a person capable of strange things yourself. The struggle to explain that kind of thing to others is one you find familiar.  
  
As the two of you continue to walk down the street, a thought comes to mind. “Earlier you said you didn’t believe in ‘talent’. But what else is someone’s ability to do strange things talent? You could say that seeing those kinds of things is your talent?”  
  
She sighs. “Walked right into that one, didn’t I?”  
  
You can’t resist a chuckle. “Sorry, sorry. But I am curious what you think about that.”  
  
“What bothers me,” Alice begins, “is that people only ever see talent, or rather a lack thereof, as another excuse. They think it’s the only thing that matters, and they look at other people without understanding themselves. They refuse to accept the fact that they might be capable of doing the same kinds of things, even if they have to work harder than them or try a different way to get there.”  
  
“That makes sense. But what about something that someone can’t reach, no matter how hard they try? What about something that’s impossible?”  
  
“What do you mean, impossible?” Alice smirks knowingly. “Like how floating through the air is ‘impossible’?”  
  
“For most people, it is…” You sigh. “I haven’t met anyone else who can, and I don’t really know how or why I do it. I just- you know, do it.”  
  
“Maybe so. But that doesn’t change the fact that it _is_ possible for you. People are so quick to assume that something can’t be done, and other people have made them eat those words over and over again.” She sighs. “Impossible is just a word people use to feel good about themselves when they quit.”  
  
You frown. “So you don’t believe that there are certain things that are essentially impossible?”  
  
“I’m saying that there’s no way for me to know for sure what is and isn’t possible. I might not be able to float like you do. But I’m not you, am I?”  
  
“Presumably.” You return her snark.  
  
“Right.” Alice continues. “So I have no idea what potential other people have, or what heights they might reach. And I won’t degrade their dreams or ambitions by telling them it can’t be done, when I really don’t know either way.”  
  
That’s a good answer, one you feel no hesitation accepting. But you aren’t letting this conversation go that easily, not when you’re still trying to forget the fear you felt in the cafe when your mind and body betrayed you. “You claimed most people use talent or impossibility as an excuse. What would you recommend these hypothetical people do?”  
  
“I’d tell them that the only way to find out if something is possible is to try. Thinking about failing is scary.” Here she pauses for a moment, looking at something far away. “But the idea of living a life without failure _or_ success scares me more.”  
  
You frown to yourself. “What makes you think that way? Someone like that would be safe, at least.”  
  
“There’s more to life than safety, Reika.” Alice says with surprising vigor. “The only way to avoid failure is to never try. And without anything to define yourself by, others will define you. Maybe some people would be happy, living that way. I know I’m not one of them.”  
  
You continue to walk in silence for a while. Your stomach ends up being the one to break the silence with a loud growl. You very definitely do not blush.  
  
Instead of having a quiet chuckle at your expense as expected, Alice gives you a quiet stare. “You haven’t eaten?” she queries.  
  
Somewhat embarrassingly, it takes you a while to recall the last time you have- back when you were still on the surface. It feels like a lifetime ago, now. “I haven’t, all day.” You reply. “Must have gotten distracted with everything else going on.”  
  
Alice sets her jaw in determination. “That won’t do.” She grips your hand, tugging you along before you can protest.

You don’t have any reason to, really. Well, your pride could object to being led by a child, but everything changes when food enters the equation. You’d been so caught up in everything else that was happening that you’d managed to forget your hunger. So even if it’s a bit strange, you really appreciate this offer.  
  
“Where are we going, then?” You say.  
  
“The bakery, it’s the only other food place in Old Town.” Alice says, counting off the streetlights as you pass them. Abruptly, she turns to the left, entering a tiny crack of an alleyway that you’d be hard-pressed to notice from the street. It seems to get even narrower as you continue, stones rising to dizzying heights on either side.  
  
The two of you pass under an archway that’s the perfect height for Alice (You, on the other hand, have to duck). And before you know it, you’re standing outside a small, cozy looking storefront, one of the few intact-looking buildings lining this street. The shopkeep, a short woman in a brown dress, greets Alice warmly, and the two exchange a quick burst of conversation in hushed tones.  
  
Alice withdraws some kind of coin from a pocket, and the woman hands over the goods inside a small paper bag. She makes eye contact with you as you loiter at a distance; trying hard not to look awkward. Her eyes widen, but she gives you both a polite bow before returning inside.  
  
“Here you are.” Alice declares, fishing around in the bag and withdrawing a round holed bread that smells faintly of sugar and some kind of unknown spice.  
  
“This is a donut, right?” You query, unsure if you _want_ to know the answer. It’s practically smothered in thick icing, which your fingertips smudge as you handle it with care.  
  
“Hmm?” Alice replies, her mouth already full of a bite from hers. She swallows before continuing. “Yes, it is.”  
  
You open your mouth for a bite- and then Alice continues. “Spider donuts are the best…” she sighs happily, closing her eyes to better savor the flavor.  
  
You close your mouth slowly, inspecting the pastry again with a more critical eye. “Spider donuts… are made with spiders?”  
  
“Made _by_ spiders.” Alice corrects, licking icing off her fingers. “A lot of them helped the oni build back in the day, and some of them decided they didn’t want to leave _their_ city behind. They’re the main reason why some of the buildings are in good condition still.”  
  
“The woman in the brown dress… she was an earth spider?” You say, taking a bite. The spice is rich and makes your mouth tingle pleasantly. The taste is almost enough to distract you from thinking of the diseases that could be coursing through your bloodstream. Almost.  
  
“Of course-” Alice cuts herself off, looking at you closely. You finish your bite and swallow, resisting the urge to look away from her gaze.  
  
“You didn’t expect her to look like a human, did you?” She says.  
  
You shake your head no. To be honest, your impression of those types of youkai were the last thing you’d call humanoid. Builders, yes. But bakers?  
  
“Well.” There’s a strange, almost forced quality to Alice’s voice. “It isn’t that big of a deal. She didn’t expect to see a shrine maiden down here, either.”  
  
Again, your presence is enough to disrupt things in ways you don’t understand. You wish there was something you could say.  
  
Thankfully, Alice is the one to speak first, filling you with relief. “It’s been a long time since most people left Home. Pretty much everyone who’s staying either likes the peace and quiet, or they just don’t know any better.”  
  
“Do you like it here?” You ask.  
  
“It’s got its charms.” Alice says flatly. “Everyone knows each other, everyone’s friendly… well, nearly everyone.”  
  
You’re nodding your head in agreement when your train of thought skips a gear. “Wait, this city’s called ‘Home?’”  
  
“Back in the day before it became the Ruins, yeah.” Alice says. “And before it was called that, the oni hadn’t decided on a name yet.”  
  
That’s pretty ancient history by now. “Who told you about all that?” You ask.  
  
“Keine did.” Alice says simply.  
  
Knowing her, that’s not really a surprise. But that reminds you of something.  
“You know Keine, right? What is she to you?” You say.  
  
“She’s my teacher, I guess. She’s kind to me…” She seems to struggle to find the right words, unusually for her. “Well, she’s like that with everyone, but she took me in when I fell down. That means a lot, you know?”  
“You came from the surface too?” You hadn’t thought about that, but it does make sense as an explanation for a human running around down here.  
  
“That was a long time ago.” Alice sighs. “Keine had me stay with her- don’t get the wrong idea, but she’s a bit…”  
  
“Overprotective?” You guess.  
  
“Yeah, something like that.” She looks relieved. “She’s always going on rounds to check on everyone, she used to have me come along. I don’t really feel like it anymore.”  
  
“Are you two still on good terms?”  
  
“Yes. I’m spending more time on my own, and I think she knows that I need to. She’s taught me most of what she knows by now.” Alice says confidently, and you believe her.  
  
“You’re pretty smart, then.” You’re impressed, you don’t know of many little kids with that kind of attitude. You certainly weren’t like this when you were her age.  
  
“What about you?” Alice deflects. “What do you think about Keine?”  
  
“...” You find the question surprisingly hard to answer. What little you know about her barely scratches the surface of who she really is. You’re at a loss.  
  
“Take your time.” Alice says calmly.  
  
“...She seems nice.” You offer lamely.  
  
“Is that all?” She says.  
  
“No.” Deep breath. No holding back. “Keine reminds me a lot of a social worker.” Seeing Alice’s questioning face, you try to explain the term. “Someone whose job is to look after other people and help them out. She’s genuine and caring- unless you’re a fairy-” That comment elicits a snicker from her. “I’m not exactly a big fan of these trials of hers, especially when I don’t know _why_ she’s doing them.” You sigh.  
  
“I had to do them too, when I fell down.” Alice offers. “The climbing part’s new, though. Did you just use your power to float past it?”  
  
“Yeah.” You shrug. “But that’s not the point. I know Keine’s telling the truth about wanting to help. But I don’t know what her goal, her motivation is. She isn’t working for anyone other than herself.”  
  
“And that makes her dangerous?” Alice raises an eyebrow.  
  
“Maybe…” You don’t want to sound distrustful after Keine helped you earlier. “I don’t know. I tried asking her why before and she was… not exactly evasive, but she wouldn’t tell me.”  
  
“So the tests aren’t over for you yet.”  
  
“No.” You admit. “I’m supposed to meet her on the eastern side of the Ruins. She didn’t say what she was testing.”  
  
“I see.” Alice muses, before glancing back up to your height. “I can’t really say anything right now. But I think you can trust Keine. She’s no liar.”  
  
You know that much already.  
  
“Granted, I’m not exactly an unbiased source.” Alice grins. “But I can’t really do anything else to convince you.”  
  
“Why does she do these tests?” You ask, more curious if you’ll get an actual response.  
  
“I think you already have a pretty good idea of why Keine does.” She says.  
  
“Aren’t you going to say what you think?” You press.  
  
“That would be telling.”  
  
Somewhat frustrated by the lack of answers, you return to the familiarity of silence.  
  
Crossing over a bridge, below you lies another river lined by elevated streets and dilapidated buildings. Possibly, the water is continuation of the aqueduct’s flow into the city.  
  
But the architecture isn’t what has your attention. It’s the huddled group of figures below you, four surrounding one with distinctive bubblegum-pink hair. It’s her, from back at the candy dish… You let out a hiss of surprise.  
  
Alice turns your way with a relaxed air. “What’s up?”  
  
“Down there.” You gesture. “What’s going on?”  
  
She glances over the side briefly. “Fairies.” Alice replies, as if that is enough of an explanation. “Fairies are going on. They’re always playing games or pulling pranks on people.”  
  
The four other winged figures have bubblegum-pink cornered, shoving her around. The sounds of angry yelling reach you from below.  
  
You set your teeth. “Screw this.”  
  
This time, when you throw yourself over the railing and into thin air, you don’t hesitate.  
  
“Seriously?” Alice calls out after you. She continues to speak, but the wind in your ears is already enough to fill your whole world.  
  
This time, your power comes more naturally as you fall. You’re close enough to make out the fairy now, it’s definitely her- and the others, wearing different shades of dark brown and a vibrant variety of hairstyles. You have their attention now, each of them staring up at you. Smile venomously. Good.  
  
“Bubblegum!” You call, slowing your descent to a gentle halt on the crumbling pavement  
  
Instead of relief, the fairy in question mostly looks overcome by shock. The others have recovered quicker, glaring daggers at you.  
  
You ignore them. “Friends of yours?” You ask bubblegum-hair with a raised eyebrow.  
  
She manages to overcome her daze enough to shake her head no.  
  
“Yeah, didn’t think so.” You say with a forced casualness.  
  
“Who’re you?” The tallest miscreant replies, her shock of wild blonde hair falling down to her shoulders and covering her left eye. “Nonya business, stranger. Buzz off.”  
  
“And what business is it?” You ask. A shakedown in a dark alleyway, you know the concept, but _fairies_ knowing it comes as a surprise.  
  
“Just this.” Long Hair opens her palm to show an empty candy wrapper. “Someone’s been dealing on our turf.”  
  
“You’ve got to be kidding me…” You facepalm.  
  
“Oi, Candy’s serious business down here. Not sure what hole ya crawled out of, to not know that.”  
  
“Yeah, you tell her, Cottonmouth!” one of the mooks calls.  
  
“‘sides, who cares about some no-name anyway?” she taunts. “Don’t matter one way or ‘nother, flashing sumpin like that around means you get got!”  
  
You don’t have any words for their kind. Bubblegum’s taken the distraction to slip away, and she watches you from around the corner of a building. That’s good, you were worried they’d take her as a hostage.  
  
“We oughta teach you a lesson! Ain’t that right, girls!” Cottonmouth shouts, and her three mooks give a wordless cry.  
  
“Honestly.” Alice sighs, her shoes clicking on the paving stones behind you as she makes her entrance. How did she make it down here that quickly- no, that doesn’t matter right now, she can take care of herself. Focus.  
  
“Come on!” Cottonmouth shouts, striking a pose.  
  
It looks like they’re spoiling for a fight. They don’t scare you.  
  
“Stay behind me, Alice.” You say, drawing three ofuda from your sleeve. She can take care of herself, you just don’t want her getting in the crossfire.  
  
“You want to take this one?” Alice says. “Alright. I’ll follow your lead.”  
  
_Thank you._ You would have _told_ her that, but the fairies got tired of waiting. Raising their hands, energy begins to swirl around them as it forms into glowing energy bullets- these ones being multicolored. Gone are the taunts and sneers, they’re concentrating seriously on this.  
  
Given that they’re fairies, you’re almost impressed with their coordination. Almost.  
  
“Fire!” they shout in unison, launching their attacks with a crackling sound of energy.  
  
Their combined fire is about as numerous as the dummy from before, but these bullets are much larger. You could dodge this with no problem- but Alice is behind you. And you’re _trying_ to make a display of force.  
  
So with your left hand, you raise a barrier ofuda. The attacks collide with the shield of light, producing bright flashes as they break apart. You lower the barrier, watching the fairies stare in shock. Those attacks were almost enough to break a simple shield like this one, but _they_ don’t need to know that.  
  
In your right hand, you feed power into the three ofuda, using a gentle push this time instead of an unrestrained outburst. The ink begins to glow white, as they activate three papers becoming thirty, and thirty becoming three hundred. With a flick of your wrist, you let them fly, and with a thought from you, they rocket off in a wide arc before you.  
  
Even if the fairies hadn’t been caught off guard, there’s no time for them to react before the air is filled with ofuda- above, below, covering them and the ground. You give them a moment to react, to try peeling the paper off before you give the second command to detonate.  
  
A second sun appears in the cavern, as three hundred spiritual circuits overload into light and force, shredding the paper that had contained them. Each ofuda becomes its own bullet, they’re so densely clumped that they look more like a single object. But it’s still a restrained attack, mostly flashy without any real destructive substance.  
  
The light fades, revealing the scraps of the destroyed ofuda and four stumbling, disoriented fairies. You do a quick sweep to make sure there aren’t any other attackers, satisfied that you got them all.  
  
“Geez, Reika.” Alice says, stepping up to your side. “Think you might have gone a little overboard?”  
  
“They’ll be fine.” You assure her. “It’s just flashy lights and loud noises to scare them off.”  
  
“Aren’t you drained after doing something like that?” she asks.  
  
“Not really, I had those ofuda ready ahead of time. It’s a bit different from-”  
  
Your explanation is cut off by Cottonmouth having regained her senses. Gone is her confident smirk, and her clothes are ragged from the bullets. But her limp body and anger-filled eyes convince you that she’s ready for another round. “Not good enough…” she hisses. Channeling her energy into her left hand, she lunges for you.  
  
Effortlessly, you leap to the side, well out of the way. But Cottonmouth doesn’t turn to follow you- she strikes straight and true, her knife hand blow rushing toward Alice’s face.  
  
Your eyes widen, you reach for another barrier ofuda to protect your friend- but you notice Alice hasn’t moved at all. Her expression remains perfectly calm, right up until the moment where Cottonmouth smashes her into a hundred tiny pieces…?  
  
What?  
  
Both of you stare in shock as what looks like a pane of glass falls apart, the shards tinkling on the ground as they fade into motes of light. An unharmed Alice steps out from behind her illusion, as Cottonmouth catches herself in a low crouch and stares up into her unamused face.  
  
“You’re…” the fairy mutters, clearly recognizing her.  
  
“I’m not fighting today.” Alice says, pointing. “She’s behind you.”  
  
Cottonmouth turns to see you holding a jumbo-plus sized energy bullet above your head. Without realizing it, your feet slightly leave the ground.  
  
The fairy’s jaw drops, again.  
  
“This is the part where you run.” You say, punctuating your sentence by dropping the bullet with a shrug. Cottonmouth turns on her heel, sprinting for cover as the ball hits the ground, exploding into a sphere of light that spreads and consumes the width of the street. It’s not strong enough to cause real damage, but she doesn’t know that.  
  
“Shiiiit!” The fairy just barely outruns the expanding blast, staggering away and clearly in no condition to fight. She turns back to face you with a death glare. “Dammit!” she shouts, scooping up one of her dazed buddies. “You ain’t seen the last of us!” With that, she departs, the other two fairies staggering after her.  
  
You let them go, it’s a waste of energy chasing them. “If I catch you again, I won’t go easy on you.” You say, but they’re already out of earshot.  
  
“That’s what you call going easy?” Alice grins. “You might have held back, but those aren’t the same thing.”  
  
“I wasn’t about to let them get away with it.” You say, not in the mood for this kind of conversation.  
  
“Fair enough.” She shrugs, before pointing. “Looks like our audience stuck around.”  
  
You notice what Alice means: Bubblegum’s stepped out from around her corner, looking at the empty street around her blankly. “Hey.” You call out to her, stopping at a safe distance because you remember her being skittish earlier. “You alright-”  
  
But you don’t get to finish your sentence before she leaps toward you, wrapping your arms around your back tightly. You stumble backward from the impact before you use your power to catch yourself… and you realize that she’s crying, her body shaking as she sobs into your dress.  
  
“There, there…” you mutter, half-panicked yourself. “I scared them off, they’re gone now.” Bubblegum shakes her head no, continuing to cling to you. That isn’t what’s bothering her- fairies shouldn’t be that afraid of getting hurt or dying.  
  
“Uh…” Looking over to Alice, you see her trying very hard not to laugh at the situation. “Help. Please?” You whisper.  
  
“You didn’t even notice, did you?” Alice says, walking over and crouching down to meet Bubblegum’s eyes. Apparently satisfied with whatever she finds there, she straightens up and addresses you. “Cottonmouth called her a ‘no-name’, remember?”  
  
“Yeah, what’s that got to do with anything?” You say with a bit more frustration than you intend.  
  
“Most fairies don’t have names at all. They get them for becoming notorious, doing something big.” Alice explains. “And you just walk on in here, and give her one without realizing it.”  
  
Oh. “Did I do something wrong?” You ask the fairy quietly.  
  
“’M fine… I-I’m just so happy…” Bubblegum says.  
  
You feel relieved. “That’s good to hear.”  
  
She finally lets go, and you notice just how tiny she is; just a head above your waist. “Thank you for helping me.” she says shyly.  
  
“Are you going to be alright? Those guys might come back for you.” You’re worried about her, you or Alice won’t always be around.  
  
“Don’t worry about me. I know a place, they won’t bother me there.” Something about the fairy seems different now. Maybe it’s in her standing straighter, or a new light in her eyes. “They’ll let me in, I’m sure of it.”  
  
“Okay, if you’re sure.” You caution her. You don’t know how or when you became this involved in Bubblegum’s situation. Maybe it’s just that you can’t stand bullies, no matter who they are.  
  
“Fairies have their little cracks and holes everywhere, there’s too many to find all of them.” Alice says. “She should be fine.”  
  
“You two are the ones who should be worried…” Bubblegum whispers. “They’ll be back.”  
  
“I don’t think we’re in any real danger from the likes of them. And that’s assuming they don’t forget all about it by tomorrow.” You laugh.  
  
“O-okay.” She nods, bowing politely. “Thank you very much!” And with that, she’s gone, zipping away into the shadows of the ruined buildings.  
  
“Hey…” You call after her, but there’s no reply. Silence falls, and the contrast with the noise and excitement from before makes it all the more deafening.  
  
“You okay there, Reika?” Alice asks.  
  
“Yeah.” You take a deep breath. “It just feels… strange, is all. It’s all over, just like that. Feels hard to believe.”  
  
Unexpectedly, Alice seems to understand what you mean. She gives you a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “We’re getting close now. Let’s go.”  
  
“Yeah.” You agree.  
  
The waterfront thankfully has a nearby staircase leading back up to the bridge you’d jumped off earlier- and thankfully, the stairs seem in good condition. The climb’s more lengthy than difficult for you and Alice.  
  
Returning to your original path, the buildings begin to grow smaller and more residential-looking before you enter another tunnel. Frankly, you’re getting somewhat tired of these, but you trust that Alice knows where she’s going. At least this one’s better lit than the last couple were.  
  
“Hold up.” Alice says, frowning at how the ground before you falls away into an indefinitely deep pit, obscured by darkness. The tunnel continues ahead, you can see the ground on the other side of the pit, about ten meters away. “I came this way earlier, this shouldn’t be here.”  
  
“Really?” You say, crouching down and inspecting the rock of the pit’s edge. It looks smooth and worn naturally from a long period of time. “It doesn’t look like a new collapse to me.”  
  
“It’s not.” Alice sighs. “Keine must have expected that you’d come this way.”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
Alice gestures to a stone engraving in the left wall by way of reply. You walk over to inspect it. The lettering is smooth and age-worn, but it looks as though it’s been recently cleaned.  
  
Steel your soul. To cross, one must neither look to the left or to the right. In confidence, may you find glory.  
  
Another test, then. Alice didn’t seem to expect it, either. It is strange, though. How did Keine manage to dig this out?  
  
“What do you think, Reimu?” Alice asks.  
  
You crouch at the edge of the pit, looking down into the darkness. Thinking of the unknown depths below gives you a feeling you can’t quite describe.  
  
For a fleeting moment, you’re tempted to try and explore whatever’s down there. But you quickly reconsider, it’s not like you’re thinking ‘this hole was made for me’. While you assume the pit does indeed have a bottom, you’re already this close to your goal. You don’t want to mess things up now by falling into a hole… again. You’re still a bit sore from the last time that happened to you.  
  
So you stand up. You’ve never backed down from a test of courage before, and you aren’t planning to start now. “I’m going to try to cross like the instructions say.” You’re a bit nervous, sure. But Keine was careful about your safety before… and if this doesn’t work, you should be able to use your power to get yourself out of the situation.  
  
“Why don’t you just float across?” Alice asks.  
  
“How are you going to get over, then?” You retort. “I don’t think I’d be able to carry you like that.”  
  
“That’s a good point.” She admits. “I’ll walk across first then.”  
  
“Are you sure? I’m in the better position to recover if it doesn’t work.” You say.  
  
“I’ve done this before.” Alice shrugs, stepping up to the edge. “Watch closely.”  
  
You do so, a mixture between curiosity and anxiety filling the pit of your stomach. If Alice feels the same way, she doesn’t show it. Her step out into the unknown is unhurried, and her shoe comes to rest on a translucent floor with a quiet click. She continues to walk across the bridge, the softly illuminated areas of her footfalls fading slowly.  
  
Reaching the other side, she turns to face you. “Alright, it’s your turn.” Alice calls.  
  
“Right.” You step up, wondering why you feel so much more anxious now than you did throwing yourself from the aqueduct. You can still catch yourself with your power, anyway. Maybe it’s because you’re trusting something else, other than yourself?  
  
You decide not to overthink it, and take your first step. The sensation beneath your right foot is hard and smooth. If you didn’t know better, you’d think that this was still the same stone of the corridor.  
  
Another step, you remember to keep looking straight ahead. Not to the left or the right, and presumably that includes not looking up. You don’t dare look down. This leads to you focusing on the far side of the pit, and with it, Alice waiting expectantly for you.  
  
Another step. You feel more comfortable now, at least as comfortable as you could be in this situation. Funny, how arbitrary those feelings are.  
  
Another step. Alice is closer now, reaching out her little hand to you. You take it gratefully, joining her on solid ground once again. Never before have you felt such relief from something this small.  
  
“I expected you to try floating over.” Alice says. “Did you just want to try it for yourself?”  
  
“I thought if I tried that, I’d just get knocked back to my own side.” You admit, even as you realize how illogical that sounds. “A ‘no-cheating’ failsafe, or something like that.”  
  
“Oh.” Alice looks from you to the pit, and back again. “Want to find out if you’re right?”  
  
“I’m good, thanks.” You’re on the other side, you’ll count that as a win. You still don’t know how the bridge works, though, and that does bother you some. Maybe Alice was right to say you were curious.  
  
The two of you continue without another word.  
  
Another staircase lies ahead, this one ascending a hill like a shrine’s walkway would. And much like many shrine walkways, it seems interminable. You aren’t tired, just bored of the repetition. “Do many people come this way?” You ask Alice, trying to get your mind off the current situation.  
  
“Not anymore.” She says succinctly. “I can’t remember the last time someone left the Ruins.”  
  
Keine had mentioned her place was right before the exit to the rest of the Underground. That was just a few hours ago now, it feels like it’s been much longer with everything that’s happened since.  
  
“Keine doesn’t get many visitors, then?”  
  
“No. But that’s because she always comes and visits them instead.”  
  
Finally surmounting the stairs, you enter into a spacious open-air atrium. Looking through the balcony windows, you can see that you’re level with the rooftops of the city, spread out before you like a tableau. Despite having just come from down there, the scale is enough to make your mind suspect that this broad expanse is some kind of illusion.  
  
“This is the place.” Alice says.  
  
“Really? Already?” You weren’t expecting to arrive quite _that_ quickly.  
  
“The Ruins are pretty small once you get used to them.” She sighs. “Keine’s is just up ahead.”  
  
And you can see it now, the stone facade of a house at the far end of the atrium, surrounded closely by massive stalagmites. It’s a humble-sized building, but the placement on these heights gives it the grandeur of a palace.  
  
But your attention is drawn toward a thick pile of golden-brown leaves, at the feet of a barren and ancient-looking tree.  
  
Every time this old tree grows any leaves, they fall right off. Except for one, at the very top of the trunk. You see that leaf’s still a vibrant green, unlike all the others. You don’t know why, but something about how it’s still hanging on makes you smile.  
  
Stepping around the tree, you finally find yourself at Keine’s doorstep. The sight of such a tidy house amidst the Ruins fills you with relief.  
  
Strangely, the front doorway seems to be missing a front door. It’s just an open frame, leading directly into the house. You can see smooth wooden floors and typical living-room furnishings inside.  
  
“Go on in.” Alice urges. “I’m sure she’s waiting for you.”  
  
A faint smell of sweetness and cinnamon wafts on the air, and you find yourself enticed. But you can’t just ignore others. “What about you?” You ask. “You’re not coming?”  
  
“Later.” Alice waves dismissively. “I’ve got something I’m looking for around here. If she asks, tell her I’ll be in tonight.”  
  
You wave goodbye as she departs.  



	7. Chapter 7

You look behind you as Alice walks away into the atrium. What is she up to now, you wonder? The thought of following her quietly is a little tempting.  
  
But you’re also tired. Tired of walking, tired of stairs, tired of these same tunnels and tired of playing nice with the girl. You want to see Keine again, you want to hopefully get some answers. You wouldn’t turn down some hot food and a warm bed before, and you definitely won’t now after that little journey across the Ruins.  
  
So you walk toward Keine’s, letting Alice do whatever strange Alice-things she does. Just take it easy, and let other people take care of themselves. You can’t find it in yourself to think worrying about secrets and conspiracies is worth the effort. One thing at a time, just like you always do.  
  
The first thing that meets you is the almost-barren tree, jutting up from a pile of dried leaves. Acting on impulse, you reach out your hand and place it on its trunk, shutting your eyes.  
  
…  
  
…All you feel is smooth, well-worn bark beneath your fingertips. If there’s something strange about this tree, you're not the one who’s going to know what it is. You let go, but not before giving it an affectionate pat. If it is about to die, then at least you got here in time to see it while it was still alive.  
  
The second thing that meets you is the entrance to Keine’s house. You peer into the living room through the doorway, feeling strangely nervous. The lack of any front door (that you can see) makes you feel simultaneously welcomed and like you’re intruding. The smell of cooking is stronger here.  
  
Don’t forget to knock first. It’s only polite.  
You do so, rapping against the stone doorframe quietly.  
  
There’s no response. But the house doesn’t feel empty to you.  
  
“Hello? It’s me, Reika!” You call out, feeling a bit embarrassed as you do so. There isn’t a doorbell, either. Again, nothing greets you.  
  
“Sorry for intruding…” You mutter, more to yourself than to Keine as you remove your shoes, placing them in a small basket besides the door. It’s already occupied by a pair of ancient, high-topped leather boots, a pair of sneakers so ratty and torn that were probably once white (and now a uniform dirty grey color), and a comparatively tiny pair of spotless Mary Janes. None of them seem like something Keine would wear.  
  
Your bare socks slip on the smooth, age-polished wooden flooring of the entryway, and you need to resist the childish urge to push off and let yourself slide. To your left is the shoe basket, and along the wall to the right is a set of lonely coat racks, only one of them being currently occupied. Directly before you is a set of stairs, leading down to a presumable basement.  
A few landscape paintings and an old-fashioned glass lamp hang on the walls, forming a kind of welcoming committee in Keine’s absence.  
  
The smell of pastry is stronger than ever, and you follow your nose to the left, entering the living room. A large, overstuffed recliner sits by a crackling fireplace. Beyond this lies the kitchen, with its checked tile floor and aged but spotless appliances. No Keine.  
  
You resist the grumbling hunger in your stomach and turn back to the entryway, taking the other path. You barely make it three steps before the sound of footsteps on the staircase signals her arrival. You turn to face her as she turns to face you, as the same warm smile from before blooms.  
  
Keine ascends the stairs rapidly, approaching you- and quickly pulls you into an embrace, letting you go before you even have time to fully process what’s happening. “Reika!” She says happily, clasping your hands in hers. “So good to see you! I’m sorry I wasn’t here to greet you, I had some other business to attend to.”  
  
“That’s fine, don’t worry about it.” You reassure her, still somewhat overwhelmed by her guileless energy. “The trip went fine… Mostly, anyway.”  
  
“I can see.” Keine looks you over, with an impressed nod. “Not a scratch on you.  
How does your arm feel, though?”  
  
You look down and do a double take as you finally realize that the bruising from your fall is gone, and the dull ache had disappeared without you noticing.  
  
“How did-”  
  
“I ate it.” Keine replies naturally, as if this kind of insanity is a familiar occurence to her.  
  
“You... ate the injury?”  
  
“Oh, that’s right.” Keine muses to herself. “I’m sorry, Reika. Let me explain it like this. I ate the ‘history of you being injured’ back when we first met. You didn’t think twice about it since then, right? It shouldn’t have hurt at all after that.”  
  
You marvel at the complete lack of pain, moving your arm to test it. It’s just as if forgetting about the injury made it disappear as well. “That’s amazing, Keine.”  
  
“Not as much as you think.” She sighs. “It’s a good thing you heal quickly, because it’s just a temporary solution. Even if the history is gone, the feelings still remain. Enough spiritual exertion will overcome the effect, you’ll start feeling pain again, and that breaks the power’s hold. The difference between history and reality tears the change apart.”  
  
“Oh.” It’s a good thing you held back earlier, or you might have accidentally reinjured yourself. “That’s still incredible.”  
  
“It’s just a little trick.” Keine says dismissively. “That’s all the power to consume history can accomplish; little things here and there that fade in the light of day. Once something’s gone, the mind seeks to find something to replace it, no matter what that is.” She isn’t quite sorrowful, but you can tell she’s had a lot of time to think about this. “And because the feelings still remain, within those bounds… history repeats itself.”  
  
“I see. Just because you helped me out doesn’t mean I can’t fall and hurt my arm again, right?” You joke, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
“Exactly.” Keine nods.  
  
Learning of Keine’s ability makes you realize something. “Wait, I think that’s why there was that weird hole on the way here. Alice was surprised to see it there, but she acted like she knew what it was. You set it up as a test… and you knew we were going that way?”  
  
“It was an educated guess.” Keine replies, answering your first question implicitly. “There are many tunnels and passages below this side of the Ruins, many ways to get from here to there. But traveling through those is enough of a challenge already.”  
  
“Okay.” You’re curious now. “So what purpose does crossing the pit serve?”  
  
“I could say it’s to test someone’s ability to trust in another, or to keep looking ahead in times of danger.” Keine’s smile widens. “But in your case, I can’t imagine it being much of an obstacle.”  
  
“I walked across it, actually.” You admit.  
  
“Oh? Why didn’t you use your power to float across?” Keine asks, eyebrow raised.  
  
“I wanted to make sure I passed the test, whatever it was.” You say. Maybe it was a desire for her approval, maybe it was for your own. Maybe a mixture of both.  
  
“Even though I had no way of knowing if you crossed using the bridge or not?” Keine asks, amused.  
  
“I didn’t know either way back then.” You defend. “And even if you weren’t watching… I’d still have known.” And so would Alice, but you don’t mention that.  
  
“I see.” She says, understanding. “What do you think you learned from the experience?”  
  
“It’s a lot harder to trust in something you can’t see.” You say the first thing that comes to mind, but think it over a bit more before continuing. “And it’s easier if you’ve got someone else with you.”  
  
“Very good.” Keine smiles.  
  
“Does that mean I passed the test?” You say half-jokingly.  
  
“It isn’t about ‘passing’ or ‘failing’, really.” She shrugs. “My evaluation of that is unimportant compared to what we learn from the experience.”  
  
You understand what she means, but it’s difficult for you to think of it outside the lens of success and failure. “If I’d failed the first few tests, then you’d have kept a closer watch on me through the Ruins?” You ask.  
  
“Perhaps.” Keine admits. “But it was clear from early on that you are fully capable. I wasn’t primarily concerned with your safety-” She pauses, seeming to realize how that could be taken. “Don’t be offended, the ruins are quite safe for most.”  
  
“I’m not. It was nice to have some time to myself.”  
  
You probably would have said more, but your stomach decides to take that moment to rumble again, leaving you somewhat embarrassed.  
  
“Oh my.” Keine covers her mouth. “Here I am, blathering on when you’re still hungry. The food’s ready, would you like to eat?”  
  
You would, in fact. The donut from before took the edge off, but you’ve still got plenty of room left, thankfully- the food is delicious, a mix of baked vegetables covered in a savory, grey sauce. The sweet smell from earlier turns out to be a hand-made pie, the cinnamon complemented by a strange, creamy sweetness you don’t recognize. You want to ask what the mystery ingredient is, but decide against it on the chance that it’s something disgusting (like snails, for example; it’s not that you think snails taste this way).  
  
The dining room, lit by the firelight, creates an incredibly cozy atmosphere as the two of you eat with gusto. Keine seems to share your belief in large portions, which you’re thankful for. It’s funny, how even though you just arrived, you feel at home here.  
  
You’re about to dig into a second helping when you hear the sound of footsteps in the entryway.  
  
“That must be Alice!” Keine says brightly, pushing her chair back and going to greet her. Oh yeah, you were supposed to let Keine know she was coming this evening. Oops.  
  
Alice enters the dining room, her dress covered with a thin layer of dust. Setting down her thick leather book with a thud, she sits at the table’s side, with you remaining at the foot and Keine returning to her place at the head. Picking at her food listlessly, she looks about as tired as you feel.  
  
“What’s wrong?” Keine sounds concerned by Alice’s attitude.  
  
“Someone’s missing.” She says bluntly. “I asked the others and no one knows where they are.”  
  
Keine’s gaze is drawn to Alice’s dusty clothing. “Were you looking down in the lower tunnels?”  
  
“I was.” Alice replies simply. “None of them saw anything either.”  
  
“Let me know next time, it’s not safe to go down there alone.” Keine sighs. “I’ll go with you, you know that.”  
  
Alice focuses on chewing her food intently.  
  
“Do you think they’re going to cause trouble?” Keine offers quietly.  
  
Alice swallows before continuing. “No. I’m just worried about them getting lost… Are you sure you didn’t see anyone come through here today?”  
  
“No, there’s only been Reika.” Keine shakes her head. “The exit is still sealed so they’re in the Ruins, somewhere.”  
  
Alice turns to face you now, those piercing golden eyes make your insides squirm as she stares you down.  
  
Your reaction must have shown, because she glances away, looking contrite. “...How are you doing?” she asks.  
  
It takes you a moment to realize she’s talking to you. “Fine. Tired, but the food’s really good.” That gets an appreciative nod from Alice as she takes another bite herself.  
  
After taking one last bite, you let go of your utensils, relieved. “Thank you for the meal.” Now that your hunger is sated and you’re in a safe place, you feel like all the energy is draining out of your body as it clamors for sleep. Lifting your hand, you stifle a yawn with a twinge of embarrassment.  
  
“Feel free to spend the night.” Keine declares, looking relieved to see the two of you getting along. “The guest bedroom’s open for you, at the end of the hall on the left.” Curiosity is still written on her face, but it’s subordinated to her desire to be a good host.  
  
“Thank you.” You’re relieved to be excused, as you leave the table without ceremony. You are curious yourself, but sleep is an undeniable urge and it has been a very, very long day.  
  
“Reika.” Alice gets up from her chair as well, facing you with a strange solemnity.  
  
“Yes?” You say, torn between concern and exhaustion at yet another thing to deal with tonight.  
  
“I’m going to be busy looking for the missing one tomorrow. But I should be back in time for lunch. Let’s talk more then, if that’s alright with you?” She asks, innocently, without any premonition of future strife.  
  
“Sure, I will.” You somehow always find it hard to say no to Alice. “Good night, everyone.”  
  
Keine replies with a hearty ‘good night’, Alice concurs quietly, seeming to be once again lost in thought.  
  
And with that, you depart, sleep-beckoned to the guest bedroom.  
  
You’re halfway down the hallway when a loud crash of porcelain shattering sounds from outside the house, catapulting you back to full wakefulness.  
  
Internally, you let out a long groan. _Seriously? Now?_  
  
After the sound of the crash, there’s a brief scuffling of something before a long silence falls in its wake. You feel torn, but you know you won’t be able to get to sleep without having at least checked on this.  
  
“Alright, what was that…” you breathe, tiredness overriding the filter between your brain and your mouth. You pad back down the hallway to the entrance, meeting a concerned looking Keine there.  
  
“I left a stack of flowerpots by the side of the house for storage.” she explains. “It might have just been a racoon-dog…”  
  
“I’ll check it out, it won’t take long.” You brush past her, holding your gohei just in case. She doesn’t move to stop you or to follow.  
  
It’s somewhat darker outside, the strange light of this place fading to the level of dusk but without the long shadows from the sun’s lowering. You don’t think the light completely goes out even at night, it’d be impossible to see in the caverns at all.  
  
You slowly look to the right, and to the left. The trunks of the stalagmites around the house, the strewn remains of shattered pottery, the cowering komainu statue tucked away between two stalagmites…  
  
Wait a minute. That wasn’t there before.  
  
You cross the distance between you and the statue with three long strides, leaning down to its level. “Oi.” You tap its stone head with your gohei, but it doesn’t even flinch. “Come on, Aunn, it’s me.” You sigh.  
  
“Young master…” The komainu’s voice echoes, before the statue transforms in an eyeblink into the similarly cowed form of Aunn. “We’re in a tight spot.” She says, almost mournfully. “A really tight spot…”  
  
“Maybe _you_ are.” You poke at one of the pottery shards with the end of your gohei, before glancing back to the empty doorway behind you. “You’re lucky it was me who came out to check on things. What are you doing out here, anyway?”  
  
“I was keeping an eye on you, this whole time!” Aunn cries, sounding half proud and half pleading. “I saw the girl you were walking with, so I didn’t want to get too close…”  
  
“You mean Alice.” You correct, finding it hard to think through the tired fog. “You were scared of Alice?”  
  
“She’s really strong!” Aunn barks. “Compared to me, anyways…” This seems to strike a nerve with her, sending her back into the melodramatic depths of despair. “Why, Master? Why didn’t you give me more strength?”  
  
“That’s typical.” you sigh. “If you don’t feel like you’re strong enough to fight, then you probably weren’t expected to. Don’t worry about it, just leave that kind of thing to me.”  
  
“But… I want to be useful…” she whines, eyes upturned, wide and watery. You can’t resist that look, but you’ve got no idea what role she should serve in.  
  
“Well, what are you good at, Aunn?” You decide to ask, given you still don’t know much about her.  
  
“I’m good at smelling things. And I can move between different statues…” Her face, twisted in concentration, lights up as she recalls something. Closing her eyes, her form flickers again, and you’re seeing double. Literally. Two Aunns smile simultaneously, giving you a mirrored thumbs up. “I can be in two places at once!” Her proud voice overlaps from two mouths, echoing slightly.  
  
“It’s because you’re a pair of statues, right?” You recall something she mentioned during your first meeting.  
  
“Yep!” Aunn beams, both bodies striking a confident pose before returning to a single form. “But I can’t act independently with each body when I’m like that, and it’s really tiring…”  
  
“Well, you can’t win them all.” You admit. “There’s still plenty of ways something like that’s useful.”  
  
“Like what?” She asks eagerly, her previous despondency already forgotten as she leans into your personal space without reservation.  
  
You’re spared of needing to think of anything on the spot by Keine’s appearance, poking her head out through the front doorway. “Reika?” She calls out. “It’s been a while, are you alright?”  
  
Aunn stiffens, literally so- transforming back into a statue seemingly on reflex. You turn around slowly, wondering if the jig is up before realizing that from Keine’s perspective, all she can see is you crouched and facing into the gap between stalactites, back facing her.  
  
“Yeah, I’m fine.” You wave her off. “Shame about your flowerpots, though.” You produce a shard for evidence, holding it up so she can see it clearly.  
  
“They can be replaced, it’s not a concern.” Keine sighs. “What are you doing over there?”  
  
“Looking for tracks.” You lie smoothly. “If I can find them, I’ll know who’s been prowling around.”  
  
“Alright, if you want.” She seems to buy that excuse. “Please don’t chase after them, it’s getting late. There’ll be plenty of time to worry about it tomorrow.”  
  
“Got it.” You say as Keine leaves, turning back to your erstwhile ally who appears to have mostly sunken into the ground, only the top of her stone horn visible. “She’s gone…” You sigh.  
  
Aunn emerges from the earth and transforms back to flesh, still looking somewhat shaken. “That’s the Guardian… I’ve seen her before, praying at the shrine. She’s really strong, I can tell!”  
  
“Well, she does have a strange ability, but she’s been kind with me.” You admit.  
  
“You’re staying in her house? You aren’t scared?” Aunn looks incredulous.  
  
“Should I be?” You ask, bemused.  
  
“She doesn’t know who you are!” She hisses. “If she did, she’d never let you leave here!”  
  
“Did the ‘Master’ tell you that?” Your eyes narrow. Aunn’s easily spooked, but if that’s an actual order...  
  
“You shouldn’t tell _anyone_.” Aunn cautions. “They have long memories down here, don’t you get it? They won’t have forgotten the war, you can’t afford to.”  
  
“Keine knows I’m a shrine maiden, it was obvious from my uniform.” You suck in a long breath. “I used a fake name, I don’t think she knows for sure. But she’s hiding something, I can’t tell what…”  
  
“You shouldn’t stay longer than you have to.” she declares, her eyes hard. “I know you want to find out as much as you can, but none of that matters if you can’t escape.”  
  
“She can’t stop me by force, you know.” You look to Aunn, seeing her in a new light. “I don’t want it to come to blows either, but I’m not afraid of losing to her.”  
  
“That’s good.” Aunn sighs. “Just- try to understand how I feel. If something happened to you, Master wouldn’t forgive me. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.”  
  
“I know.” You say.  
  
It is a half truth, but Aunn is happy to accept it, her smile and optimism returning. “You keep moving forward, and I’ll do what I can to follow along and let you know what I see. There are those other statues by the other shrines, I can jump over to those and keep up with you as you make it farther.”  
  
“Sounds good to me.” You’re relieved.  
  
“I need to find a better hiding spot.” Aunn says, transforming back into a statue. “You look exhausted, get some sleep.” Her voice echoes.  
  
She doesn’t need to tell you twice. You nod in agreement, turning away as she begins to slowly sink back into the earth.  
  
“Stay determined!” Aunn calls one last time as you walk away. You turn, only to see she’s already disappeared. Well, you guess she’ll stay hidden properly this time.  
  
Now, it’s finally time for you to sleep. You stalk down the hall, not seeing either Keine or Alice who have presumably retreated to their own rooms. Pushing open the door to the guest bedroom, your eyes sweep over the sparse furnishings before alighting on the bed, ignoring all else.  
  
You collapse onto the soft mattress face-first, too tired to bother removing your clothes. Rolling around to get yourself entwined in the blankets, you abandon all responsibility.  
  
Sleep takes you quickly, and you are too tired to dream.  
  
...  
  
Once there was a small and ordinary town, placed at the feet of mountains.  
In that ordinary town, the ordinary people went about their ordinary lives in peace.  
The only thing that set them apart from people everywhere else was that each and every one of them had a small wooden box that they carried with them.  
None of them could remember when or how they’d come to acquire it.  
To them, the boxes had always been there.  
If you questioned the boxes, the people would reply in confusion.  
Of course, to them the boxes were as ordinary as the sun rising in the east each morning.  
  
And for each person, each of those boxes held the thing that was most precious to them.  
For some it was their memories of the happiest times in their life.  
For others, it was their great dreams that they would work tirelessly to achieve.  
But for everyone, the contents of their box were something that they were determined to protect at all costs.  
The boxes could not be allowed to be lost or stolen.  
Of course, they feared the loss of what was most precious to them.  
  
At first, the ordinary people kept their boxes hidden away.  
They did not want to lose them, and they did not want others to see them.  
After all, what if their family or friends mocked their deepest feelings and precious aspirations?  
They could survive ridicule against their person, but not to their boxes.  
After all, if their dreams or memories or hopes were pitiable or pathetic, then that would mean their whole lives had been a waste.  
Of course, everyone feared the hatred and derision of those who they trusted.  
  
Many years passed.  
Over time, the boxes became less of a source of fear and more of a sign of trust.  
After all, if you trusted someone enough to show them what your box held, then they were very close to you.  
The ordinary people began to use the boxes as romantic gestures, as proof of friendship, as rituals to close business deals.  
While there were some who were more reluctant than others, overcoming that reluctance was seen as a sign of growing up.  
Of course, there is an exception to every rule.  
  
A girl worked at a shrine in the town.  
She swept the grounds.  
She tended the trees.  
She performed divinations and gave out the shrine’s charms.  
And her box was always by her side, unopened.  
  
...You know how this story ends.  
  
_...Of course, the girl left the town._  
  
Yes. that’s right. She left, yearning to be free of the tyranny of… Of what? The tyranny of the boxes, the outcast casting herself out?  
  
Everyone’s running from something. But this girl... Where’s she running to?  
  
_Tap tap_  
  
You’re awakened by a gentle knock on the wooden door, your eyes snapping open with a flinch.  
  
“Reika, breakfast is ready.” Keine’s voice is slightly muffled. “Take as long as you need, there’s no rush.” Then, the sound of footsteps growing quieter, as she walks back down the hallway.  
  
How considerate of her to let you sleep in. But that’s a luxury you’re in no hurry to claim. Already as you stretch and rub the blur from your eyes, the dream (or was it a nightmare?) fades from your mind. That’s for the best. Some things are better left forgotten.  
  
While still seated in the bed, you finally get a good look around the room, having been too tired last night to care. A window on the back wall lets the brighter light of what passes for daytime down here through. Such a simple thing- you miss the golden sunbeams of surface mornings more than you’d expected.  
  
A bookshelf on the back wall, the leather-bound volumes covered in dust. It doesn’t look like they’re easy reading, or often used for that matter. A wooden desk by the door, clean but barren. The closet, empty coat hangers grouping together like penguins huddling for warmth.  
  
There really isn’t much to see here. This guest bedroom is literally for the sake of the bed and little else, and infrequently used at that. Rolling yourself out of bed, you slip a little on the smooth wooden floor before you steady yourself. Regaining your shoes, you open the door and shuffle out into the hallway.  
  
A thin yellow rug pads underneath your feet. You didn’t even notice it was there last night. The rest of the hallway is decorated similar to the entrance, several more presumably magic lamps and a couple of paintings of flowers.  
  
To the left of your room is a mirror, and your first thought is that it’s a strange place for one. Being on the end wall of the hallway would make more sense to you. The frame’s simple wood, wider than it is high. It looks to be quite old from the dents on the frame, but it’s been kept clean and dusted.  
  
You step before it hesitantly.  
  
It’s you. A girl, just a bit above average height, dark-brown hair tied into a shoulder-length ponytail. A red blouse and skirt over a white undershirt, and two detached white sleeves.

# Reimu Hakurei

##### Shrine Maiden

  
You step forward, and look deeply into the mirror. Two dark-red eyes gaze back at you.  
  
You hated that color, once. Hated the mocking words and the concerned stares, hated the way people glanced away and talked behind your back.  
  
Now, after the passage of years, that hatred has cooled to a quiet distaste. They’re a part of you, anyway. Something you can’t change.  
  
Grandmother told a younger you when you asked. “A long time ago, there were stories about ‘the red-eyed children of Misfortune’. They laughed, they cried, they bled, they were just as human as everyone else. But people called them changelings or youkai, and drove them away.”  
  
You innocently asked if that was back when she was alive, and she laughed. “How old do you think I am? This was far before my time. Back then, people feared and hated what they couldn’t understand.” Those weren’t comforting words to a younger you, and she pulled you close with a smile. “Don’t let them get you down. Those are just stories from long ago. Eyes are eyes, Reimu, remember that.”  
  
Mirrors have been uncomfortable things, for as long as you can recall. It has nothing to do with your reflection itself- that’s only you, after all. You suppose it’s just that… you’re afraid of looking into one one day and realizing that you no longer recognize who you’ve become.  
  
The sound of plates clinking from the kitchen breaks you out of your reverie, and you’re almost grateful to turn away. Now that you’re feeling more fully awake, your hunger has returned with a vengeance.  
  
Entering the dining room, you’re greeted with a frankly excessive amount of breakfast choices spread atop the table. A tureen of soup (presumably miso), still hot from the stove. The half-eaten vegetables and pie from last night’s supper. A loaf of bread, next to a glass jar of some dark spread that lacks a label, you aren’t even sure if it’s sweet or savory.  
  
Keine bustles back into the dining room, drying her hands on a towel, scanning the food before turning her attention to you. “Good morning, Reika!” She says brightly. “Did you sleep well?”  
  
“Yes, I did.” You reply, feeling a little uncertain. “Are we expecting company?” That would explain the amount of food.  
  
“No, I’m not.” Keine replies, withdrawing a chair and sitting down at the table’s head. You follow suit gratefully. “Alice already left, and I realized I wasn’t sure what you wanted for breakfast…” Her voice trails off as she seems to come to the same conclusion that she might have gone a little overboard.  
  
“I’ll take the miso, thank you.” You offer Keine a bowl, and she fills it with a smile. It thankfully turns out to be miso, and it’s delicious, albeit a bit thicker than you’re used to. Finishing her own soup, Keine occupies herself with putting the food away. You glance up from your bowl, and rise from your chair to look into the kitchen.  
  
“I can help with the dishes if you want.” You offer, wanting to make good after all the hospitality you’d received.  
  
Keine isn’t having any of it. “Thank you for the offer, but I’ve got things handled in here. Why don’t you find something to do until Alice gets back?”  
  
You remain in the doorway, looking at Keine. She, in the middle of rinsing the bowls in the sink, looks back at you. You know she has more she wants to say and to know from you, and you feel the same about her. But she doesn’t seem willing to press the situation. The backbone of steel she showed during the tests earlier seems to have disappeared underneath this smothering generosity that you have no idea how to repay.  
  
You don’t know how to feel in this place. You don’t know what to do next. You think you’d honestly prefer it if she just confronted you right now and got it over with.  
  
“I think I’ll take a bath.” You look away first, mind turning over and over.  
  
“The bathroom’s just off the entryway.” Keine says calmly, returning her gaze to her dishes. “Take as long as you want.”  
  
“Thanks.” You leave, relieved to fix your mind on solving a logical problem again- namely, the age-old problem of how you’re going to figure out how to use someone else’s bath.  
  
Entering the door, you realize that the bath is far more luxurious than you had expected, walls and floor of tasteful dark grey stone, the bath proper taking up half the room and already full of steaming hot water. A bucket of rinse water sits alongside, and you waste no time disrobing and pre rinsing before you enter the bath.  
  
The rough rock beneath your feet forms a kind of seat, and you relax back into it, feeling yourself melt into the warmth as you let out a long sigh. Now this is just what you needed… They really know how to do things right down here. Maybe the water’s heated by magic, or maybe it’s geothermal energy. You’re deep enough underground…  
  
But you don’t much care about how it works, only that it works with a minimum of effort from you. For a moment, you allow yourself to simply relax and think of nothing other than the sensation of floating.  
  
But like all moments do, it passes all too soon. Sitting upright, you recall your duty as a shrine maiden. You’re on a sacred mission, one quite different from your usual role, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Nothing’s changed. You aren’t running away. You were told to do this, and you’ll find a way through.  
  
That’s what you tell yourself, anyway.  
  
Keine and Alice had both said that her house was before the exit to the ruins. Keine had mentioned last night that the exit was ‘still sealed’, and with her power that makes sense. You’d have to convince her to let you leave, or find a way to break the seal on your own. Well, first you’d need to find the ruin exit, but you suspect either the basement stairs or the tunnels near the house.  
  
It seems like a confrontation with Keine is unavoidable. You lower yourself into the water, blowing bubbles through your nose. Why does thinking about that bother you? You had wanted to see her again, before. You’d wanted to wring those secrets out of her, one way or another. You wanted to know more, to trust her.  
  
But right now, it’s like something about this place’s lulling you back to sleep, saying everything’s just fine and there’s no need to hurry. Just wait for Alice to get back, talk with her, there’s no need to rush.  
  
Maybe there’s not. You weren’t given a time limit for this mission or anything. You don’t have any concrete reason, but you don’t trust the urge to just relax. You’ll enjoy this while it lasts, just like you’ll enjoy this bath while it lasts. And when it’s done, you’ll move on.


	8. Chapter 8

You exit the bathroom, feeling quite refreshed. It almost seems a shame to put your old clothes back on after. The kitchen’s empty, and the door to Keine’s room is closed. Deciding it’s better not to bother her, you wonder what to do next.  
  
What time is it? You don’t know. This place seems to be devoid of clocks, and you didn’t bring one yourself. Not knowing how much time you have to kill only makes your desire for it to pass stronger. You don’t know when Alice is going to be back anyway.  
  
The house’s basement seems of interest, of course. But you think it’s too early for that. You’ll need to talk to Keine about leaving the Ruins anyway, and getting caught looking around down there wouldn’t be a good place to start.  
  
Leaving the house, you stand atop the hill, the ruined city off in the distance. A cool breeze ruffles your hair. It’s almost enough to make you forget you’re deep underground, except for the lack of sun or sky.  
  
Skirting back around the surrounding stalagmites, you look down over the other side of the hill to see that the cavern ends quite abruptly, in great heaps of collapsed stone. Keine wasn’t exaggerating when she said this was the end of the Ruins. The exit must be a tunnel underneath this.  
  
Returning to before the house, you think of the lower tunnels Alice was apparently searching. You don’t know where the entrance to those are. You’d go looking for them, but Keine said Alice would be coming back here, and you don’t want the two of you to miss each other. If you’re going to need to go through that place, you’ll want to do it with someone else.  
  
Footsteps sound in the atrium, a clacking sound on the tile walkway. Keine should still be in her room… “Alice.” you greet her as she comes into view, looking unsurprised to see you.  
  
“Getting cabin fever, Reika?” Alice says.  
  
“I guess.” You shrug. “I took a bath, and then I was just taking a little look around.”  
  
“There’s not much to see, is there.” Alice walks past you toward the house, and you follow to keep up.  
  
“I guess not…” You admit, before remembering there’s another topic of conversation to mention. “You’re still looking for the missing person, right? How’s that going?”  
  
“I was searching in the city today.” Alice sighs. “No one I know had seen them.”  
  
“Sorry to hear that.” You say. “Is there anything I can do to help? It’s not like I’ve got anything better to do right now.”  
  
Alice turns back to you, but her retort dies on her lips. “Remember the spirits back in the cafe?” She decides upon.  
  
You nod. How could you forget?  
  
“Well, we’re looking for a missing spirit. One that’s faded so far that I can’t even see them.”  
  
“So you’re looking for something that’s invisible?” The two of you enter the house, taking off your shoes. “Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you.”  
  
“You can’t see the wind, either. But you can see how it blows dust around.” Alice chides. “It’s like that too, we can see the signs of it having been somewhere. It leaves marks in the stone of the tunnels- or it did, anyway.”  
  
“Why are you looking for it, exactly? You said they aren’t dangerous.” You remember. “What’s going to happen if you can’t find them?”  
  
“If no one can find them, then I guess they’re gone.” Alice looks somewhat tired. “Spirits are supposed to stay in the ruins. That’s just the agreement we’ve come to down here. We can’t keep everyone from leaving, but thankfully most of them understand.”  
  
“And who’s that agreement with?” You frown.  
  
“Youkai are much more vulnerable to spiritual attacks, right?” Alice says. “If a spirit tries to possess one, then they run a pretty good chance of getting completely destroyed. People are afraid of that, even if most of these guys don’t want to hurt anyone.” Instead of giving you any time to take that in, she looks around the entryway as if just realizing where she is. “Where’s Keine?” Alice asks.  
  
“In her room, I think.” You gesture.  
  
“Let’s keep talking in my room.” Alice says, opening the first door in the hallway. You follow somewhat hesitantly.  
  
It’s a strange sight, pastel yellows and pinks covered up by a thick layer of pasted paper drawings that cover nearly all of the walls, a cross between a typical young girl’s room and a half-mad artist’s studio. It takes a moment for you to realize that the separate drawings on the far wall actually overlap to form a much larger picture, which looks like a wide landscape of the city ruins.  
  
Alice’s bed is clean and neatly made, an oasis of order amid the controlled chaos everywhere else. She sets down her books before sitting atop it, and pointing to an ancient wooden chair at her desk. You pull it over to sit across from her.  
  
“Where was I?” she asks.  
  
“Spirits possessing youkai.” You say, even though Alice spoke of the possibility of that, not the happening of such.  
  
“Right, that. Part of the reason why we’re in the ruins is because we don’t have to worry so much about that happening to us. The other youkai who stayed are used to living with spirits, anyway.”  
  
That makes sense to you. Humans with spiritual ability can avoid possession much more easily.  
  
“Why are there so many spirits down here to begin with?” You ask, wondering about the past of this place. Alice had mentioned that the city was built by youkai, but if anything that would make it less likely to have lots of lingering spirits in the present.”  
  
“This cavern system used to be a hell, a long time ago.” Alice says. “Don’t look so surprised, that was a long time ago. The Ministry packed up and moved out way before most of the youkai came down here, they took all their tools and most of their prisoners with them.”  
  
“You said ‘most’. So they left some of the spirits behind?”  
  
“That’s right. Some of them are the remnants of that time. And some of them have wandered here. Keine isn’t about to turn someone who’s lost and has nowhere to go away.”  
  
Right, Keine.  
  
“I know Keine’s the guardian of the Ruins or whatever, but what makes looking after people your responsibility?” You get to the point.  
  
“I’ve got friends here. I’m just trying to look out for them. The reason I know about the missing one is because another spirit in the tunnels asked me to look for them.” Alice leans forward, interest lighting up in her eyes. “You’ve got responsibilities too, right? What does a shrine maiden do?”  
  
_What does a shrine maiden do?_ That question has more depth to it than you’d realize. Normally, you’d brush someone off by saying that you did a lot of cleaning and not much else. It wasn’t even wrong, really.  
  
But being down here, meeting Alice’s expectant gaze, you feel like you owe her a better response. You owe yourself one, too.  
  
“The shrine priests and maidens are the ones who stand between humans and the god that they serve.” You begin. “They represent and channel the will of their god to the people, and in turn, they convey the will of the people back to their god.”  
  
“I think I get it.” Alice says, thinking. “Channeling means more than one thing, right?”  
  
“Yeah, I think it does.” You’re lost in thought as well, remembering ceremonies from when you were younger. “People and gods want different things. Sometimes it’s just as simple as asking, and we’re the ones who tell the other side. But to channel our god’s spiritual power is what we need to do to get some jobs done.” It’s a big responsibility, and you aren’t ever sure if you’re doing it correctly.  
  
“I bet you’re pretty good at that kind of thing, right?” Alice’s words jerk you back to reality. She’s smiling. “You’re able to see things that most wouldn’t.”  
  
“I guess so.” You admit, not wanting to think too much about the spirits in the cafe. “I haven’t channeled our god much, but they said I’ve got a knack for it.”  
  
“Channeling spiritual energy goes both ways too, right? How do you bring the people’s power back to the gods?” Alice asks. You’re beginning to wonder if she already knew about shrine maidens and just wanted to see what your thoughts on the subject were.  
  
“There’s ceremonies for that sort of thing. Like the Suwa Grand Shrine’s Ontou festival- in the old days, the worshippers offered deer as sacrifices to the gods and decorated the shrine with their heads.” Alice stares at you blankly, so you rush to continue. “That was back then. Now they just use stuffed deer heads instead. They still get plenty of people who come for the celebration, but it’s just like a show now. They don’t actually _believe_ it does something for them.”  
  
“That’s interesting. What does your shrine do then, Reika?”  
  
_Youkai extermination._ You manage to catch yourself from saying it at the last moment, thankfully. That’d be too easy to connect you back to the Hakurei- and besides, Alice who lives with and befriends spirits and youkai wouldn’t be too happy to hear that.  
  
“We don’t do much, anymore.” It’s the truth, anyway. “There isn’t much call for our speciality- If people pray these days, it’s for good test scores, and if they come to a ceremony, it’s on New Years.” You avoid specifying what that speciality is, you aren’t lying.  
  
“And how do you feel about it?” Alice asks, searching you.  
  
“It’s my job.” That’s all you can really say. “I started when I was little, but that was mostly just playing around and looking cute in a uniform to draw the worshippers in. But now, it’s work. Every day, I make sure that the shrine’s clean. Every day, I train for half an hour.”  
  
“That must be hard.” Alice says, thankfully not questioning what you mean by ‘training’.  
  
“What makes you say that?” You say jokingly, keeping a half-formed response about practicing ceremonies in reserve.  
  
“To talk to the people, you need to turn your back on your god. And to talk to god, you need to turn your back on people.” Alice says sagely. “That just seems kind of lonely to me, anyway.”  
  
You don’t reply. You’d felt that way before, during training or sweeping or simply waiting on the shrine porch, watching the world pass you buy. But you’d never heard anyone else say that. (and what does that mean, that you can live your whole life among people without hearing, and just after meeting Alice, she offers that thought so freely)  
  
She is the one to break the silence. “I’m sorry for pushing like that. I just get curious, you know?”  
  
You do.  
  
“Want to look at some more drawings?” Alice asks. You do, you could use something else after that little bit of seriousness. “Go right ahead.” She waves to the walls and the papers coating them.  
  
Taking a closer look, the first thing that strikes you is the sheer variety of methods used across the collection. The deep textured shading of charcoal, the blooming of watercolor, pen sketches, some strange method of searing the paper to create different shades of brown. You can see a rough progression as you move around the room, the lines becoming tighter, the techniques becoming more skilled and effective.  
  
“I stored most of the really old ones, when I was first starting out.” Alice explains, watching you go through her stuff. “I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of them, but I didn’t want to show them either.”  
  
She notices your glance toward the large, multi-paper picture on the wall and smiles. “Oh, that? It’s an experiment. I was trying to see how multiple images from different locations could fit together in the long term. It didn’t turn out quite how I wanted it to…”  
  
Rising up from your chair, you step closer, noting the perspective shifting on the buildings as you do so. It’s almost like looking into another world, new facets of the landscape emerging as the pages shift. “How does this even work?” You marvel.  
  
“It’s pretty simple in concept.” Alice gets up, removing a page from the wall and breaking the effect, the combined image distorting bizarrely. You can see that the page is covered in a detailed pen sketch like the one you saw her do before, showing a building from a low angle. “Each page just has one perspective on it. No matter how many optical illusions there are, you can’t get around that.”  
  
“But because there’s so many pages…” You begin to get the point of this.  
  
“Exactly.” Alice removes two other pages, holding them up side by side. They’re drawings of the same building, but one’s a side view and the other shows the top. “When you attach them together…” She holds them so they overlap, and the surreal three-dimensional effect returns. You see the building rotate askew as you move your head from the ‘front’ to the ‘side’. Now that you know what you’re looking for, the transition between the individual pictures is much easier to spot.  
  
Alice returns the pages to their original spot, it being clear now that the effect is only created by the number of pages. It’s obvious now that the complete image is imperfect, faked angles show buildings distort when viewed the right way. But it’s still an impressive work of art, and knowing how it was done doesn’t diminish that.  
  
“Can’t look away? Keine did the same thing.” Alice says with a chuckle, sitting back down on her bed. “She’d have put it up on the fridge, except there’s not enough room. I’m kind of torn about the whole thing, really.”  
  
“Why’s that?” You ask.  
  
“I know I could do it better with what I know now.” She shrugs. “But I remember how much work it took the first time, and I know it’d take twice as long to do it better.”  
  
“I see.”  
  
“I want to do something else like it someday, but I’d want to be of something else next time. I’ve drawn every building in the Ruins by now.”  
  
“Seriously?”  
  
“Probably.” For a moment Alice looks slightly embarrassed, before brushing it aside. “Besides, that’s not what I wanted to talk with you about last night.”  
  
“It’s not?” You ask, somewhat bewildered.  
  
“It was important and I wanted to know more about you.” Alice sits on her bed, hugging her knees. You’re struck by how small she looks. “But I think it’s only fair that I tell you more about myself after all that.”  
  
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” You reassure her, still feeling lost in the landscape of art that surrounds you.  
  
“No, I do.” She pushes herself up from her bed, resolving her face. “It isn’t easy, but the important things never are. I need to tell _someone_.”  
  
You don’t know why Keine isn’t included in that, and you decide that it isn’t your place to know. “Alright. Where do you want to start?” You ask, thinking about how Alice came to the Ruins.  
  
“Let’s go to the exit.” Alice decides, pounding a fist into her fist. “You haven’t been there yet, right?”  
  
“That’s not what I…” You give up. “Sure, why not. I haven’t been there yet.”  
  
“Good. It’s not far.” Alice declares, setting off. Following her has become familiar to you by now.  
  
As you suspected, the pathway is down the house’s staircase. The wood steps and paneled walls give way to ancient, rough-hewn stone as you descend, the house must have been built atop this much later. It leads to another hallway, except this one is wide enough for an army to march through. Alice continues to walk unhurried, this being a familiar sight to her. You think of what would necessitate this vast emptiness, and the thought is intimidating.  
  
A supermassive door looms overhead to end the corridor, made from a confounding combination of thick, rough-hewn timber and the now-familiar grey stone. It’s carved and fitted until the two materials have taken on a unique property of their own when combined.  
  
“This is the exit that leads to the rest of the Underground.” Alice states, gazing up at the shadowed heights that cling to where the door meets the ceiling. “Keine showed me it, explained how only a few people come and go. Her power is what keeps it sealed.…”  
  
She swallows back some kind of emotion and continues. “I didn’t care at first. I was so taken in with all the sights and new people to meet, and I resolved myself that I’d find a way to draw everything that was down here. And for a long time, that was enough. Enough to fill up my whole life. I was happy.  
  
After a while, I’d filled many books. I could tell how much better I’d gotten. I’d seen every corner, met every person, and done everything I could think of to do. I had fulfilled my goal, to draw everything and everyone, to understand them.  
  
So then my dreams turned to what lay beyond that door. I asked Keine and she evaded me. She told me that there was something I didn’t understand yet, something I needed before I was ready. I believe her… but I don’t know what that is. I’ve studied every inch of this place, and none of that has been enough to let me pass. I’m supposed to grow before I can move beyond that door- but I feel like what’s beyond that door is needed for me to grow!”  
  
Emotion has risen in her, and she shakes with the exertion needed to contain it. “You’ve traveled across the Ruins. You understand too, don’t you? When you were waiting for me this morning, you were at a loss to think of anything to do, weren’t you?”  
  
You don’t deny it. You could have found a book to read, searched out those tunnels somehow, gone back into the city to talk to the other residents… but all of those are touched with the same feeling of hollowness that whispers, ‘there is no point’.  
  
“Before, when I said there was more to life than safety, I meant it. The Ruins are very quiet and peaceful, its inhabitants are kind. The ones who chose to remain here appreciate those things.”  
  
“And you’re not one of them?”  
  
“The lingering spirits who have no other place to go. The youkai who refuse to leave the home they built. The fairies who don’t know any better. I’m not any of those at all! Even if we can’t leave the underground, I know it’s a bigger place than this. Everyone here’s nice… but it’s like they’ve given up already.”  
  
Alice is frustrated and uncertain. You can understand how she feels about this. But your situations aren’t the same. You’re on a mission, and Alice is motivated for herself. While you’re tied by your responsibility, a physical obstacle is blocking her.  
  
Although, now that you think about it, the door’s only a barrier because of Keine. It does come back to the complicated relationship the two have with each other, and you don’t know enough about it to judge either of them.  
  
Alice looks on as you think, her emotions having cooled to a simmer. Now you better understand the challenge she presents- someone with great power who still happens to be a young child. Just like with you, a simple outburst of frustration could prove destructive.  
  
Besides, you’re standing right in front of the door. Alice did mention that Keine had sealed it, but Keine also mentioned the changes her power makes can be broken. Encouraging her here doesn’t seem like a good idea.  
  
You don’t know Keine’s side of the story, and you aren’t sure how to begin finding out.  
  
Thankfully, Alice is willing to break the silence for you.  
  
“I don’t want to sound ungrateful.” Something like contrition writes itself across her face. “I was lost, Reika. I didn’t have anything left. Coming down here was the best thing that ever happened to me. Keine took me in, she gave me everything I could want- except for this. I still love her, but… it’s difficult.”  
  
“Did she tell you why she won’t unseal the exit?” You offer. “If she’s worried about the spirits getting out, she could just reclose it after letting you out.”  
  
“That’s not it, Reika.” A hint of that frustrated energy returns to her voice. “Others have come down here since I arrived. Some of them stay in the Ruins, but most move on. Keine lets them through after she tests them.”  
  
Right, those tests again. You think you did fairly well, but Keine didn’t actually say if she was willing to let you through. “Do you know what she looks for when she does that?”  
  
“She wants to know if someone’s going to be in danger if they can’t protect themselves. She also wants to know if they’re going to be a danger to others.” Alice looks up at you. “There aren’t any real criteria, it’s a judgment she makes. Every time I ask, she says I’m not ready.” Letting out a sigh, she looks away. “She won’t let me leave.”  
  
That doesn’t sound good to you, especially as it’s clearly making Alice unhappy. But you want to believe the best about Keine, (and why is that, exactly?) so you continue to think this through. It’s not so much for the sake of convincing Alice, who’s already made up her mind, as it is to convince yourself.  
  
“Keine won’t let you leave the ruins alone. Why?” You think it has to do with Alice’s age, but you don’t want to say that and set her off. “She won’t tell you?”  
  
“If I knew, I wouldn’t be in this situation.” Alice huffs. “I can handle myself in a duel, so I don’t think that’s the issue. I’d like to think she isn’t underestimating my skill… She won’t say. She’s let people through that are younger than me, so that’s not all of it. Keine told me she just wants to keep me safe. Maybe she doesn’t even know why.”  
  
You aren’t sure about that, but you agree that it probably isn’t about Alice’s fighting prowess.  
  
“You’re probably wondering why I don’t just break out of here.” She (correctly) asks.  
  
You weren’t bringing it up because you didn’t want to give her ideas while being right next to the exit. Thankfully, Alice seems content to only discuss the situation instead of acting.  
  
“Maybe I _could_ , but Keine would know.” She looks conflicted. “I don’t want to tear us apart by doing that.”  
  
“You can’t go alone, and you won’t break out. Then what if the two of you go out together?” You suggest. “You could see those places you want to visit, prove to her that you’ll be fine on your own. You’d gradually work your way up to it, instead of just leaving right then and there.”  
  
“That’s no good. Keine won’t leave here. It’s not about the spirits, it’s...” Alice struggles for the words, a rare sight for her. “Her decision. You’d have to ask her about that.”  
  
“Well, I need to talk with her about leaving the Ruins anyway.” You declare. There’s no use putting it off forever. “I could ask about your situation.”  
  
“Thanks, but I don’t think it’ll help with my case.” she sighs, leaning against the door and slowly sliding down to a seated position. “It’s been something between me and her for years, I don’t want you getting angry with her on my behalf.”  
  
“Why did you tell me about this, then?” You ask, sitting as well, a polite distance between you.  
  
“Because that’s what friends do.” Alice says, looking a bit surprised that you’d even ask.  
  
You can’t argue with that. If she wants to see you as a friend this quickly, then that’s no skin off your teeth.  
  
“You know, it’s funny that we’re having this talk here of all places.” She says.  
  
“Why’s that?”  
  
“One day, when I was down here on my own… I heard someone singing on the other side.” Alice seems to be lost in her memories, looking at something only she can see. “I started humming along without thinking about it, but then the song stopped. That was because she had heard me, and she let out this great, bellowing laugh. So we started talking on either side of the door, about ourselves, what we do, whatever came to mind, really.  
  
She told me that she works as a guide for people through the forest. I asked her if all the time she was spending with me was getting in the way of her job, and she told me not to worry, barely anyone comes this way anymore.”  
  
Now Alice looks somewhat more somber about the next part of her recollection. “I told her about the same thing I’ve told you, how I feel trapped here. That I want to see the forest, the ravine, the new capital, and it doesn’t seem fair.” Her voice trails off.  
  
“What’d she say?” You prompt, realizing you’ve become curious about this story yourself.  
  
“She said that even the people who _are_ allowed to open this door still have growing up to do. I wasn’t expecting that, but she said it’s true. People don’t ever finish growing, so as long as they keep trying… that made me really happy. Somehow, she knew just what to say to make me feel better. She’s a very kind person.”  
  
“How do you know she’s kind when you don’t even know her name?” You ask.  
  
Alice gives you a slight glare. “I know her well enough. Anyone who wasn’t kind wouldn’t keep visiting me, when they don’t get anything to show for it.”  
  
“I don’t know about not having anything to show for it.” You think out loud. “I mean, the both of you are friends, right? That’s gaining something.”  
  
“Right.” She mumbles, before straightening herself. “Speaking of gaining things, what have you gained? Why did you come here, Reika?” Alice still seems on edge from before.  
  
“I’m on a sacred mission, under orders.” You find solace in those familiar words.  
  
“You’re going to leave the Ruins, aren’t you? Just like the others did.”  
  
“I can’t stay here.” You then think about how Alice must feel, having struggled for this herself, to hear that. “I’m sorry. Do you want me to stay here?” You ask, even though you know there’s no way you can.  
  
“No, I don’t.” Alice insists. “If you can go and you want to, then go. I’m happy for you. I hope you’ll find what you’re looking for.”  
  
You look away instead of replying. You aren’t sure what’s to come, but you at least have faith that it isn’t more than you can handle.  
  
“Am I bothering you, or do you just hate talking like this?” She asks.  
  
“It’s not a question of liking or hating, okay?” You stand up, a little faster than necessary. “I just... don’t have any interest in other people.”  
  
“You’re a terrible liar, Miss Reika.” Alice smiles (cruelly?) “Do you want to know how I know that?”  
  
“Please.” You say, taken somewhat aback.  
  
“You’ve been eager to know more about people, and this place, everything you can. The moment someone dangles the promise of information, you leap upon it like a starved cat.”  
  
“That’s… because of my mission.”  
  
“Your mission… lets you justify almost anything, if you wish to. I don’t think that’s the only reason. You’re just curious. There’s nothing wrong with that.”  
  
You feel trapped now, in a way foreign to you. Your hindbrain says you could run, you could lash out, but that would only confront the physical situation of being here with Alice. What you’re really struggling against is something invisible, unnoticed.  
  
“But you aren’t just curious. Back at the party, when I showed you the drawing of that shadow-thing, you were frightened.” Alice states cooly. “But it wasn’t the drawing. You were afraid of me. I could see it in your eyes.”  
  
“I didn’t understand.” You say, having nothing else to say. “I didn’t know what that thing was or who you were. I didn’t want to make you angry _because_ I didn’t know what you were capable of.”  
  
Alice’s glare dims, and it’s like a weight is lifted from you. “It’s funny that someone as strong as you is afraid of all the wrong things.” she says, almost playfully.  
  
You lean against the door and let out a long exhale. “Every time we talk like this, I end up feeling exhausted.”  
  
“I guess that takes us back to the question: is it me, or is it the talking that bothers you?”  
  
“You know, I’m actually not sure.” _I don’t have that much practice doing this_ , you pointedly don’t mention. Either way, you’ve had enough. “I’m going on a walk.” You declare, not caring about bringing the conversation to a proper close after everything the two of you threw out in the open.  
  
“Take your time.” Alice calls after, in no hurry to move from her seated position against the door. Maybe she’s waiting for her friend on the other side to show up again.

* * *

As you stare out over the city ruins from one of the atrium’s window, you wonder if these moments are part of the reason why people smoke. Doing the whole ‘melancholic solitude’ thing is all well and good, but it just doesn’t feel complete without something to do with your hands.  
  
You’re just rambling to yourself again. You don’t have anything else to do, again. You even have half a mind to try and get a quick nap, but you’re still too wound up from your talk with Alice to fall asleep right now.  
  
So you contemplate the city’s ruined skyline, wondering how many buildings still have people in them. Wondering how long until the rest of them crumble, leaving the few maintained ones as little outposts of normalcy among a mass of rubble.  
  
This whole place must have been built for an immense number of people, what with the massive tunnels and doors and the innumerable buildings. It doesn’t feel right for it to be this empty- like a school when everyone’s gone on break, hallways too wide and silent.  
  
_Clink. Hiss._ The quiet sound of metal on metal, a flip lighter snapping open and a flame flickering to life. That’s not just your imagination. There’s someone to your left.  
  
You turn and see no one. But there’s the smell of smoke on the wind. There’s the sound of a long exhale- it’s not yours.  
  
“Nice view, ain’t it?” A relaxed drawl says, sounding muffled and distorted like you’re underwater.  
  
Remember the cafe? Remember what Alice said about spirits in the Ruins? You close your eyes. When you reopen them, it’s like there’s a charcoal smear in the rough shape of a person, leaning against the window’s railing. A wisp of smoke trails up from a far more visible object, held between two blurred fingers.  
  
“I didn’t realize that spirits liked smoking.” You say.  
  
They laugh. “Not like there’s much else fer entertainment around here.”  
  
“I guess not.” You agree, looking back out into the air. “It is a nice view.” You’ll give it that much.  
  
“Yep. Real nice.” They take a long draw, blowing out a ring of smoke. “You’re the new kid in town, right? Heard you were comin’ through with Alice yesterday.”  
  
“What of it?” You challenge.  
  
“Nothing, really.” They wave you off. “No need to get wound up ‘bout it.”  
  
Try as you might, that seems to be the one thing you find hardest to avoid.  
  
“Heard about LeBlanc getting toasted, too.” They drawl casually. “Sucks.”  
  
“Yeah…” You say, trying not to dwell on your role in that event.  
  
“Well, no one got hurt, that’s the important thing.” Another long drag. “Should be all fixed up by the end of today.”  
  
“Really?” You’re impressed. The earth spiders must work quick.  
  
“Amazing what you git done when everyone lends a hand.” They chuckle. “So. How ya doing?”  
  
You catch yourself before you can mutter ‘fine’, like you always do. “It’s... been weird.” That sums it up.  
  
“Bwahaha! Ain’t it just!” They seem to agree with you. “I ‘member when I first stumbled down here… couldn’t believe my eyes with this place. It’s still crazy, but it’s home now. Probably would have passed on a long time ago, otherwise.”  
  
“That’s good to hear.” You mean it; it’s nice to see someone happy with their place in the world.  
  
“It’s good of ya to listen. But hey, while you’re here…” They crush the butt of the cigarette in a hand, leaving nothing behind. “You’re friends with Alice, ain’t ya?”  
  
You aren’t quite sure how you feel about that, but decide to nod your head yes.  
  
“Great! I figured as much, she don’t hang around people she don’t like. Anywho, I know she’s been looking for someone who flew the coop recently-”  
  
“Excuse me?”  
  
“Jumped the fence. Crossed the river. Defenestrated the window. You know... disappeared, parts unknown, all that jazz.” They sound vaguely annoyed, but it quickly fades. “She tell you anything about that?”  
  
“She did, yeah.” You admit.  
  
“She say anything else?” You get the sensation that they’re looking at you insistently.  
  
“She hasn’t found them, if that’s what you’re asking.” You explain, unsure of how to say it in a way that isn’t blunt. “The Ruins are still sealed, so she doesn’t think they left through the exit.”  
  
“Well, hot damn.” They sound a bit disappointed, but also relieved. “Maybe they did finally make it... never thought I’d see the day.”  
  
“You’re that friend of theirs that Alice mentioned, right?” You guess. “What’s your name?”  
  
“Ain’t got one. Just call me V’s friend, yeah?” They give you something that you’ll charitably call a smile, with a flash of gold. “Tell Alice not to worry none. If she can’t find V, then it’s okay. They’re probably in a better place, now.”  
  
“You think they’ve passed on, right?” To cross the Sanzu river, to be judged.  
  
“Possibly. Hope so, at least.” They let out a long sigh. “V was down here long before I showed, the only ones who’d remember back then are the real old folks, and most of ‘em already moved on too. I say we was friends, but I’m really just the only one who hung around ‘em. All those scratches in the walls… doesn’t take a genius ta know they were hurting.”  
  
What can you even say to that? “I’ll be sure to let Alice know, V’s friend.” You do your duty. Just like always.  
  
“Thankee kindly, miss…”  
  
“Reika.”  
  
They simply nod. “Welp, I’m going back to bed. Ain’t like I’ve got anywhere else to be, yeah? Have a good one!”  
  
V’s friend doesn’t walk or float away, or even vanish in the wind. Instead, it’s like their outer layers dissolve one by one, showing you what looks like a gold tooth in the process- before there’s nothing left but the faint smell of smoke on the wind.  
  
You take a deep breath. That wasn’t so bad. They were pretty nice, actually.  
  
It doesn’t seem like V’s friend expects Alice to keep up the search. You should probably let her know that… and you will. Later. You don’t want to really talk with her right now.  
  
In the meantime, there’s something you’ve been putting off. You turn away from the atrium, and back toward Keine’s house. It’s time to face the music.  



	9. Chapter 9

“-so she says, ‘It’s not Oni-chan, it’s Onee-chan!’”  
  
Of all the things you had expected to find when coming back to the house, Keine sitting by the fire and reading a joke book out loud wasn’t one of them. She’s smiling to herself now. You sidle up to the entrance to the living room before making yourself known. “Am I interrupting something?”  
  
“Reika? No, not at all!” Keine beams, beckoning you closer. “Have a seat, please.”  
  
You accept her offer, sitting across from her armchair. “Do you know where Alice is?”  
  
“She’s in her room.” Keine explains, adjusting a pair of reading glasses on her nose. “She said she’d be out in time for dinner. I was just going through my literature when I came across this collection of puns that I don’t remember reading… maybe it’s been so long that I’ve just forgotten about doing it.”  
  
“And you’re reading them out loud because…?” You raise an eyebrow.  
  
“Some jokes can only be truly felt when spoken.” Keine instructs, turning the pages. “For example… ‘A tanuki walks into a bar. He mistakes a stranger for his friend, so he walks over and claps him on the shoulder, and says, “Hey, Inugami! How’s it going!” The infuriated one replies: “Inugami? You don’t even know me!”’”  
  
“Pfft.” You chuckle.  
  
“There’s more. Do you know why skeletons are terrible liars?” Keine asks, eyes twinkling with suppressed laughter.  
  
“I don’t know. Why?” You take the bait.  
  
“Because... you can see right through them!”  
  
“Oh, that’s bad…” you wheeze.  
  
But Keine’s not done yet. “What did the haniwa say... when they got surprised by the karakasa?”  
  
Oh _no_. “What?” You ask, gasping with laughter.  
  
“Hani-wow!”  
  
You laugh and laugh until your stomach aches. It isn’t that the jokes are good- maybe it’s because of how bad they are. Maybe it’s just been too long since you’ve had a good laugh.  
  
The two of you begin to quiet down, still chuckling, luxuriating in that moment of mirth. You do so knowing that it can’t last.  
  
Making sure your voice has returned to normal, you wipe a tear from your eyes and speak. “Keine.”  
  
“Yes?” She seems to have sobered up quickly as well, politely attentive as is typical for her.  
  
“We parted ways before on the other side of the Ruins with a lot unsaid between us.” You begin, trying to be less blunt about this. “I took that to mean that you would tell me more when I completed your tests… which I have, haven’t I?”  
  
Keine closes her eyes, thinking to herself.  
  
“I didn’t press the issue before, but I can’t leave it alone anymore.” You explain. “I’m willing to tell you more about myself, and my mission, as long as it’s a fair trade between us.”  
  
You’ve been waiting for this- or so you tell yourself as you stare Keine down, trying to hide the anxiety churning inside you. You’re torn between your desire to know more and your need to obtain her favor to leave the Ruins, and the previous conversation with Alice threw you off. You aren’t quite so sure that you know how to play this game anymore.  
  
Keine’s calm demeanor doesn’t help those feelings. If she feels the same apprehension, not a bit of it shows as she patiently waits for you to make your move.  
  
You swallow your feelings and speak. “You said that the Ruins exit is sealed. I need to persuade you to open it for me.”  
  
“For you?” She emphasizes.  
  
“Yes. You used your ability to consume history to seal it, didn’t you?” Taking her silence as confirmation, you continue. “I need to travel through the rest of the Underground and return to the surface to complete my mission.” You say flatly, not trusting your ability to express pathos convincingly here.  
  
That provokes a reaction from her, a slight deflation of the pristine calm from before. “If that’s the case… then it’s alright.” she says with a nod.  
  
“Wait, that’s it?” You’re taken aback, not expecting it to be that simple.  
  
“I am the one who oversees the exit, and my power is what keeps it sealed.” Keine confirms, bringing the conversation back around. “In the time we’ve spent together, I believe that you can keep yourself safe and aren’t likely to be a danger to others. So you’re free to leave. Right now, if you want.”  
  
She looks at you expectantly. You find yourself slumping in your chair, and straighten yourself. You’d been ready to question how Keine judged people, to argue why you should be able to leave.  
  
“You don’t seem excited to hear that.” Keine says.  
  
“Strange, I thought I would be.” You admit. “There isn’t exactly a lot to do around here.”  
  
“That’s true. For someone who’s living, anyway.” She glances away before continuing to speak. “You said there was more you wanted to know from me, and I have a couple of questions I would like to ask you.” Seeing the look on your face, she pauses. “We don’t have to discuss it now, or at all if you don’t want to.”  
  
“No, I do.” You sigh, straightening yourself again and giving yourself a mental reprimand. “I’m just a bit burned out from big conversations at the moment.”  
  
“Ah.” Keine’s eyes light up with recognition. “Alice got ahold of you, didn’t she?”  
  
“Kind of, yeah. Seeing her art was nice, at least.” You gloss over the other topic of Alice’s feelings for now..  
  
“Don’t take it personally, Reika.” Keine says warmly. “She means well, but when she takes interest in something she clings to it like a limpet and doesn’t let go. I apologize for anything untoward she might have said.”  
  
“That’s fine, don’t worry about it.” You wave her off. “I should probably take her interest as a compliment.”  
  
“Alright.” Keine seems to be thinking something over. “How do you want to do this, then? Should we start by alternating questions?”  
  
“That sounds good to me. You can go first.” You shrug.  
  
“If you’re sure.” Keine says, accepting the offer. “I know I’ve said this before, and I understand if you can’t go into detail, but why did you come here? What is this ‘sacred mission’ of yours?”  
  
You swallow back the nameless fear that rises up in you. You do not fear the idea of battle, the teeth and claws, or the poisoned words… but you do fear what is unknown. You are afraid that the moment you let your guard down, you will be set upon.  
  
That’s perfectly understandable. Perfectly _human_ of you. In the end, it comes down to a simple question. Can you trust Keine?  
  
“I was sent to the Underground by my shrine’s leadership.” You explain at a deliberate pace, giving yourself time to gather your thoughts. “I came here alone. My orders are to enter from the top of the mountain, to travel through the caverns, and exfiltrate through the exit on the east side.”  
  
“So... this is a scouting mission, then.” Keine says quietly. Something about her feels different now. Not hostile, but it lacks her usual attitude.  
  
“I guess you could call it that.” You admit. “I’m supposed to make contact with different individuals as I travel through.”  
  
“And… do what, exactly?”  
  
“They didn’t say. That’s not that unusual for them.” You say. “All I know is what I need to know. The rest is their business, it doesn’t matter to me- especially down here.”  
  
“That may be your conclusion, but do not be surprised when others question the truth of those words.” Keine warns. “Especially when they come from the lips of a Hakurei.”  
  
The blood in your veins turns to ice.  
  
“Is ‘Reika’ another pseudonym as well?” She asks innocently.  
  
Your mind spasms in an attempt to understand what she implies before you remember that despite the turn things have taken, she’s still Keine. She almost certainly means what she says.  
  
“Yes, it is.” You say through grit teeth, frustrated at yourself for erring somewhere along the line. “How did you know?”  
  
“Awfully quick to admit defeat, aren’t we?” Keine chides. “Perhaps I was merely mistaken and in need of correction. Perhaps I was just trying to get a rise out of you.”  
  
“That doesn’t sound like something you would do.” You say.  
  
“No, it isn’t. Not with you, and at a time like this. But you gain nothing from confessing under the slightest pressure. If you must deceive, it would be to your benefit to do so _consistently._ ” The timber of her voice has changed, the deliberate pace from before overcome by a long-restrained energy. You amend your thoughts- she’s still Keine, providing a lesson for you. It’s just with a different method.  
  
Regardless, there’s still something else you need. “How did you know.” You repeat, stubbornly refusing to let this topic go.  
  
“It was an educated guess…” Keine says. “You said you were sent here alone, which would imply you and your shrine have confidence in your abilities- which is an assessment I would agree with. You seemed to be familiar with the legends surrounding this mountain, which made you likely to hail from this area. And-” She pauses to stifle a chuckle. “I know of no other shrine besides the Hakurei who issue uniforms with detached sleeves.”  
  
“It was really that obvious, huh...” You sigh. At least Alice didn’t seem to know who you were at a glance.  
  
“Was being surreptitious part of your orders as well?” Keine questions.  
  
“How I accomplish the mission was left to my discretion.” You reply. “And when I heard that the caverns were ‘filled with dangerous youkai’, I decided it would be best to keep a low profile.”  
  
“I’m not questioning your decision, Reika…” Keine says, her voice trailing off. “Apologies, that’s not really your name, is it?”  
  
“Reimu. Reimu Hakurei.” You offer.  
  
“Reimu.” She articulates it cleanly. “I believe that, as you say, ‘keeping a low profile’ would be for the best. Not everyone will know or mind, but there are many like me with long memories and longer grudges. What we saw during the War is… not so easily forgotten.”  
  
“The war?” You say. “Between humans and youkai, from the legends?” You half expect Keine to say she was joking, to then explain the real story. But she wouldn’t joke about something like this.  
  
She nods in assent.  
  
“But that was hundreds of years ago…”  
  
“My name is Keine Kamishirasawa.” She says, but those words carry a weight now that they didn’t before. “I carry both the blood of a beast and a human. I’m half hakutaku- that is the source of my power, tied to the full moon. Some call it a curse.”  
  
“And what do you call it?”  
  
“It’s just who I am.”  
  
You’re shocked. Not because of the truth, but how you didn’t notice it before. Keine lacks any sort of presence that you’d come to expect from a non-human- your instincts hadn’t reacted at all. “That’s how you’ve lived so long, then.” You declare flatly.  
  
“I’m sorry for allowing you to assume I was human.” Keine looks somewhat contrite. “There wasn’t really a good time to bring it up, and it’s not like there weren’t signs that should have given it away.” Seeing your blank stare, she continues. “My hair? My spiritual power? My ability to eat history?”  
  
“I’ve seen people like that before, and they’re still human as can be.” You shrug. “I just didn’t get the feeling that you were a youkai.”  
  
“That isn’t really wrong, but it’s not the whole story either.” She says. “Reality has a way of unseating our conclusions, doesn’t it.”  
  
You don’t need her to tell you that. “I think it’s my turn for a question. Why are you here in the Ruins?”  
  
“That’s two questions, really, but you couldn’t know that. The answers to both are heavily entangled-” Keine settles back in her chair. “-so I’m afraid it’ll take some time.”  
  
“Feel free.” You wave her on.  
  
“Alright.” She turns her chair to face the fire. “You might want to move a little closer. It’s a bit easier to see this way.”  
  
“What do you mean by that?”  
  
“Alice helped me with this.” Keine smiles, leaning forward to pick up a thick book from the table. “She says ‘it’s merely simple magic’, but it’s not something I could do.”  
  
‘And what is that, exactly’ dies on your tongue as the book opens, and you see shimmers of light interspersed in the fireplace’s flame.  
  
“Long ago, both humans and youkai lived on the surface and struggled against each other.” She says, and the images of people appear- loose, undefined, like crayon scribbles come to life. “You’re familiar with the war.” She says- it is not a question.  
  
“I know some, but not much. It’s been a long time since then...” You admit.  
  
“There’s no shame in that.” Keine looks up from the book to give you a sad smile. “Humans have been blessed with the ability to forget.” She returns to the book, and for the first time you can see the weight of those years on her. “I remember it all. The painful times. The bitter times. The happy times as well…”  
  
The images shift, flickering through a dozen permutations before settling on a tall, blue haired figure surrounded by the shorter sketches of children. “But for me, before the war there were mostly happy times. I was a teacher then, at a village school.”  
  
“Instead of sharing your wisdom with kingdoms and emperors?” You ask, reminded of the role the hakutaku once held.  
  
“Men like those have already made up their minds.” Keine says dismissively. “I could make a high minded argument about how starting with the children was the best way for me to impart my wisdom, to shape the future… but that wouldn’t be completely true. I just loved my hometown and that little school there too much to dream of doing anything else.”  
  
“I see.”  
  
“It was hard at times, seeing those who I knew as children come to me with children of their own, to see the world outpace me. But that was no great burden compared to everything I received from them. That far outweighed what I was able to give.”  
  
“Then the war happened.” You say.  
  
A dark cloud covers Keine’s face. “Yes. It did.” The images of rows of soldiers, their outlines loose and unstable as if warped by sheer emotion. “The Interior Ministry sent mercenaries, hired the best hunters from other regions, and finally, a large amount of their best troops to our lands to eliminate the youkai threat. And even though I had been living peacefully in the village for generations, I had no choice but to leave, and seek refuge on the mountain.”  
  
“I know the humans besieged the mountain- those were Tengu lands back then, correct?”  
  
“They were, until their leadership was assassinated.” The image of the mountain, shaped from a flame, covered in the innumerable glowing eyes of youkai. “There was no nation anymore. Just a random alliance of the desperate, fighting to survive. And it’s only then that it truly became war.”  
  
“Did you fight?” You ask.  
  
“No. My abilities were considered too precious to risk.” Keine says, and you can’t be sure if she’s relieved about that or not. “I’ll spare you the details. Both sides took heavy losses on that mountain. But the humans just kept coming. If one fell, they could be replaced. If we stayed, we would fall gradually, one by one. So we decided to flee into the caverns below.”  
  
“‘We decided…’ But the tengu leadership was already dead by then.” You remember. “So who was making the decisions?”  
  
“I was one of them.” She admits. “They put stock in my ‘vaunted wisdom’, I suppose. A few of the elder tengu… and a friend named Mokou, who led our little army in battle. We knew we had to run. So we did. The humans didn’t follow us underground, and soon we knew why.”  
  
“The Underground is encircled by a barrier which keeps the inhabitants inside, as you know, but that is not its only function. It lets individuals in as well, but only certain ones. Lost youkai who would languish on the surface. Wandering spirits with no other place to go. Humans with strange abilities who are unwelcome elsewhere. Like how a stopped jar holds in the smell of its contents, the Barrier helps preserve ‘fantasy’ on the inside.”  
  
“How is something abstract like fantasy qualified? That’s a concept created by humans to explain things.” You ask.  
  
“Correct. Fantasy and reality are like two sides of a coin. One only exists in contrast to the other. A long time ago, humans saw no difference between the two, but now, most no longer believe in magic or monsters. And creatures who require that belief to live will slowly fade away.”  
  
You were familiar with the concept (gods need belief too, after all) but didn’t realize the situation was that bad for them. What would that feel like, to have the world itself reject your existence?  
  
“As for how the Barrier works…” Keine muses. “Something about how it divides humans and youkai means it also serves as a metaphysical boundary between fantasy and reality. Topside are where humans live, and Underground is where the wild things are- something like that, anyway.” She looks away. “I’m not really the person to ask about this sort of thing.”  
  
“Okay.” You can tell that’s touching on something sensitive, and leave it alone- another question coming to mind. “Do you know how the barrier selects what can enter it? That seems really complicated.”  
  
“Byakuren, the one who designed it, made it that way.”  
  
“You knew Saint Byakuren? Personally?”  
  
“Not well, but we had met on occasion. You probably remember her as a legendary youkai exterminator, and in a sense that was true. She appeared to be on the side of the humans in the war, but her greatest goal was always to see peace between humans and youkai.”  
  
“But she exterminated youkai.” You argue. “That doesn’t seem very peaceful.”  
  
“She put on a show of it, for the humans’ sake.” Keine explains. “Then, she found them new homes elsewhere. The humans rejoiced at seeing the ‘extermination’, and the youkai were spared from what the other hunters would have done to them.”  
  
“Did she ever exterminate any for real?” You ask in disbelief.  
  
“Not that I know of.” She sighs. “Reimu, I know it can be hard to understand, but it was a different time- a much more violent one. As someone who’s both human and youkai, I can’t say if her actions were truly just for either group. All I can say is that she always treated me kindly. And she was willing to do anything to stop the war. Anything.”  
  
“And she did.” You say with finality. “The barrier went up, and then you were all stuck underground.”  
  
“That’s the gist of it. We met with the former rulers of the mountain- the oni, who had already left the surface behind. We built a city together, which became the Ruins you see today. The new capital is at the other end of the underground, and most of the youkai moved there.”  
  
“You were one of the ones that stayed behind?”  
  
“I could offer other reasons, but in the end it’s simple.” Keine closes her eyes. “There are those who couldn’t move on, or simply didn’t want to. They need someone to watch over them, to welcome and guide the new arrivals, to keep the rest of the underground safe.”  
  
She pauses, the book long since forgotten. “You’ll think this is extremely selfish of me, but I’m not doing this for anyone but myself. I do help others and I love to see their happy faces, but I’m doing it how I see fit. I won’t change my way of life, no matter what.”  
  
“I wouldn’t ask you to.” You wave dismissively. “You’ve told me plenty. More than plenty, actually.” Scratching your head, you try to focus on what’s relevant to your mission. “Just to be sure I’m understanding this correctly, the barrier let me through for whatever reason... and now I’m stuck down here. How am I supposed to leave, then?”  
  
“In truth, I don’t know how.” She looks frustrated. “But there is a way. Or was, rather, but it’s been lost to the ravages of time. I’ve been somewhat isolated here in the Ruins, but to my knowledge no one since has been able to traverse the Barrier.”  
  
“If you think that I’m going to give up just like that, you’re wrong.” You lean forward in your chair and state with a forced calm. “I’ll find a way out. It’s my mission, I know that there’s a way. There has to be.”  
  
“Your mission, your duty, lay all that aside for a moment.” Keine looks troubled. “You do realize you have a choice in all this. You could stay here with us, or find some other place that would welcome you.” She sounds almost desperate, but it’s not to convince you to stay… “Reimu, you said it yourself, you don’t have to worry about your shrine’s business down here. It’s okay for you to just… stop.”  
  
But she doesn’t understand. You can’t just _stop_. You need to make it to the capital. You have to.  
  
“I can tell by the look on your face that you don’t agree.” Keine sighs. “That’s fine. But please, bear with me for a moment longer. What does ‘freedom’ mean to you?”  
  
You’ve spent your whole life under expectations, with missions and training. Can you point to a single moment when you’ve been without responsibility? You may have freedom in how you undertake your mission here, but haven’t you been bound by accepting it to begin with?  
  
Words come to your tongue, unbidden. You bite them back. You can’t risk undoing everything.  
  
“I couldn’t say.” It’s noncommittal, but it’s genuinely the best answer you believe you can give.  
  
Keine does not sigh in disappointment like you’d half-expected her to. “I understand.” She says, reaching out to grasp one of your hands in hers. “Reimu, there isn’t a right answer to that question either. If you honestly don’t know, then it’s best to be honest and admit it. All I ask of you is that you continue to think on it. Will you do that? For me?”  
  
“I’ll try.” You say. “I can’t promise anything.” After all, when you leave, you most likely won’t see her again.  
  
“I wouldn’t expect you to.” She smiles. “As long as that answer is yours and you’re sure of it, you’ll have made me proud as a teacher.”  
  
Keine lets go of your hand, turning to put her book away on the shelf.  
  
 _As a teacher…_ That seems to be the most telling thing she’s said. Despite being both human and youkai, what she does defines her more than anything else- deliberately so. And despite being judged and forced to flee her home during the war, she welcomed you with open arms.  
  
For her, who someone is comes before how they look, what they do, or anything else for that matter. Her tests and attempts to get to know you better make sense considering that.  
  
“Well, it’ll be time for dinner soon.” Keine says, returning to her chair. “I know we just covered a lot of ground, so is there anything else you want to ask?”  
  
As a matter of fact, there is. “You said that other humans came to the Ruins before, didn’t you?”  
  
“I did. Alice was the first since I became the guardian of this place. There’s been more since- not many, but some. You are the seventh, if I remember correctly.”  
  
You don’t care about the numbers, your mind turning back to the issue of Alice. Alice, with her drawings and her magic and her strange demeanor.  
  
 _Could she be-_  
But you don’t want to believe it, you realize. Even though you now know your instincts aren’t foolproof, it’s possible that she could be like Keine. Some part of you wants to just continue seeing her like everyone else.  
  
You don’t have the luxury of thinking that way.  
  
“Alice is like you, isn’t she?” You ask, already knowing the answer.  
  
“Not exactly. Our situations are different, she doesn’t have a beast’s blood. But she isn’t a human anymore.”  
  
“She touched one of my ofuda. It didn’t do anything to her at all.” You say, almost to disprove your own conclusion.  
  
“Was it a sealing ofuda? A warding one?”  
  
“I don’t really have separate ones. They just do what I need them to.”  
  
“It was uncharged, wasn’t it?” Your silence tells Keine everything. “Youkai come in all different kinds. I guess you’d say she’s closer to human than most.”  
  
“You can understand why I’m asking: How did something like that happen to her?” You say. “She fell down here, a normal human little girl, and now she’s- just not, anymore?”  
  
“She was never truly ‘normal’ to begin with, Reimu.” Keine says, her calmness now unsettling again. “Do you really think that seeing and being able to communicate with spirits is?”  
  
“No, but-”  
  
“She was exactly the kind of person the Barrier was made to accommodate, a human with a strange ability, looking for a new life.”  
  
“And what about her family?” You glare, real heat entering your words. “Did that little girl just run off and leave them-” You slap your thigh. “Just like that?”  
  
“The Barrier has a way of attracting candidates who will be able to pass through. I’ve talked to spirits and youkai who’ve come down here, and they’ve said it’s almost like something is calling them here.” She says. “As for her past on the surface… I don’t know. It is not something I can control. All I can do is to accept her, to make her life here the best it can be.”  
  
“Okay.” You sigh. “Still doesn’t explain how she went from ‘girl with a strange power’ to… whatever she is now.”  
  
“The common term is a magician, many of them are former humans who have surpassed old age and the needs of the body using their own spiritual power.” You wonder if her almost clinical description is her own method of coping with this. “Probably the simplest explanation is that she became that way because of the Barrier.” She explains  
  
“That freaking thing again…” You mutter. “Is there anything that it _doesn’t_ do?”  
  
“As far as we know, it’s a side effect of trapping ‘fantasy’ inside instead of an intended part of Byakuren’s design.” Keine says, ignoring your sarcasm. “But the process still exists regardless of intentionality. The humans that have come here have all showed the signs of beginning to turn.”  
  
“You’re saying all of them aren’t human anymore.”  
  
“I cannot be sure of what happened to the others who left the Ruins. But from what we know of the process…” Keine looks pensive. “It seems to be inevitable.”  
  
You laugh wryly. “Inevitable, huh.”  
  
“Reimu…” Keine says. “I understand how you must feel at hearing this, and I’m sorry for not making it clear sooner. The change is gradual, it will take months, but you don’t need to be afraid-”  
  
“You’re right, I don’t.” You say quietly. “I wasn’t called here by the Barrier, or anything like that. I wasn’t ‘rejected’, I was _sent_. My god will protect me. And, I’ll find a way out before anything like that happens.” You lean forward. “I’m not worried about my humanity. I’m worried about Alice’s situation.”  
  
For a moment Keine looks like she will protest, but she bites back her words, choosing to play along. “What about Alice?” she asks. As if she doesn’t know.  
  
“How long has she been down here with you?” You frown.  
  
“Knowing the passage of time is difficult, down here. It must have been many years by now.”  
  
“She still looks young, though. She’s bright and she may _know_ a lot, but in a lot of ways she’s still just a kid.” You pause, not needing to openly ask.  
  
“I don’t understand it, myself.” Keine admits. “At first, I thought it would just take time, so I waited. Youkai with long lifespans may take a long time to mature compared to humans. I had assumed the same applied for magicians, but I haven’t met any young ones before.”  
  
“Maybe it’s not so much a question of biology as it is one of desire, her ‘role’, if you will. She wants to grow, to spread her wings and fly. But I don’t know how I can help her anymore. Not with this.” She seems unsure what to do with her hands, folding them over each other. “I’m too familiar, too much of a stable pillar to bring anything new for her.”  
  
Something about that last part doesn’t seem right to you, but you decide to address her argument on its terms anyway. “I know she loves you, so why can’t you just tell her that; you want to help but aren’t sure how? Don’t you owe her that much?”  
  
“She’s stronger than you seem to realize, Reimu. If I tell her that I can’t help her and don’t know how, then she’ll obviously seek someone else who can.” The look she gives you is one of desperation, aged long enough to curdle into resignation. “She’ll break out of here. My seal on the exit won’t be able to hold her back if she’s serious about it.”  
  
 _And are you keeping that from happening because you’re worried about her safety, or because you don’t want to be all alone?_  
You don’t say that. Some part of you lacking in restraint and better judgment dearly wants to, but you don’t. Keine might not lash out at you for saying it, but pushing the issue won’t help either of you.  
  
Keine breaks the silence first. “I’d like to thank you for being understanding and attentive, I’ve rambled on for a long time.”  
  
“No need to apologize, I talked just as much as you did.” You say.  
  
“Regardless of who’s at fault, it’s been a long afternoon. What do you think about calling Alice for dinner?”  
  
“Sounds good to me.”  
  
As you offer/begin to set the table, you think about the situation between Keine and Alice. This is something that’s been growing between the two of them for years, for longer than you’ve even been alive. You, a newcomer, aren’t going to be able to change their minds about it. At least you can tell Alice that you’ve heard both sides of the story.  
  
Dinner is a quiet affair. Alice knows something’s happened between the two of you, she’s too perceptive not to. But she doesn’t broach the issue, choosing to eat quietly. You can’t really say anything to her right now in front of Keine, either.  
  
Finishing the meal, Keine again refuses to let you help with the dishes. Alice retreats to her room, book in tow.  
  
It seems like you’ve got some time to kill, and so you decide you might as well read something. Examining the living room bookshelf, something catches your eye.  
  
You read quite a bit, but it isn’t usually anything as dry as most of Keine’s collection. ...Which is a roundabout way of saying you mostly read manga, something she seems to be short on. That doesn’t mean you’re averse to something heavier, but you’d prefer it to not be so dry that you need to metaphorically wash it down. With metaphor water.  
  
Running your finger down the spines of the books, you find it lingers on one title in particular: Ruler of the Underground: The Phoenix King, by one ‘S. Irota.’ The topic of the Underground’s leadership has your interest. It’s relatively thin when compared to the thick, leatherbound doorstoppers on either side, which is a good sign.  
  
Returning to your seat, you take a moment to enjoy the coziness before you open the book. The fire crackling gently, the warm, yellow light, the quiet sounds of dishes clinking in the sink. You can’t say ‘just like home’, because it isn’t. There’s no true sunset for one, just a general dimming of the outdoor light. But this is nice.  
  
You take a deep breath, letting the moment wash over and through you. Nothing to do, and nowhere you need to be. You’re doing this purely of your own choice. That’s freedom, isn’t it?  
  
Opening the book, you feel the paper beneath your fingers. The hard cover seems to be paperboard, antiquated but not to the same degree as its leather-bound compatriots.  
  
A cursory glance at the first pages confirm the book’s name and title, but of greater interest is that the publishing date is quite recent, just over twenty years old.  
2nd Edition  
Yamabushi Press  
New Home  
  
This must have been written and published in the Underground, then. What other amenities does this society have? Electricity? Public transit? Indoor plumbing, as you’ve already experienced personally. And all of it could be augmented by the casual use of magic, as Keine seems to do.  
  
Right, the book. You check the first and last pages to see if there’s an ‘about the author’ section, but find yourself disappointed. Either ‘S. Irota’ is so well-known they need no introduction, or they value their privacy. Or both.  
  
You begin to read the biography, (tentatively you classify it as such) hoping that the author will reveal themselves through their manner of writing.  
  
It was in the awkward teenage years of record-keeping, after it had been born out of the desperate human desire for self-justification, but long before it managed to mature into respectability and concern itself with trifles such as ‘objectivity’ and ‘truth’. During those times, our story begins.  
  
A child was born to the ‘Fujiwara’. You may find that unnecessarily vague from our modern vantage point, considering the untold millions who have held that last name. In truth, it was only a degree less so in that time, the clan having reached nigh-offensive heights in political standing and in historical impact.  
  
This child’s mother? Unknown. Her birth name and its tumultuous history is also lost to us, but this should be of no great surprise to anyone with even the briefest knowledge of those times, where the nobles of Heian-kyo were more likely to give their bodies to each other than their true names.  
  
‘But Irota-sensei!’ you rudely interject, full of indignation. ‘They placed great value in their names, which is why they kept them close!’ In response to this, I merely have this to say: Names are meant to be used. One who holds theirs close to avoid it being sullied, will one day open up their heart and find that without the tongues of others to sustain it, it has long since withered away and crumbled to dust from lack of use.  
  
...Perhaps that is what happened in this case. Regardless, her first, lost name or the title of ‘Fujiwara’ have very little to do with the individual we’re concerned with now. Just like the majority of individuals born in her time, she goes by the single name of Mokou. But we who are not her closest confidants know her as ‘The Phoenix King’. (The Protector of the Flame, the Eternal Radiance, Heir of Kagatsuchi, and multitudinous other effusive epithets bestowed on her by a overzealous populace, entirely against her will)  
  
It only takes you half of the introductory chapter to conclude that this Irota has a sharp wit and a sharper tongue, viciously deprecating nearly every character involved with the notable exception of the titular focus.  
  
Despite what many have said, she is not a phoenix youkai, or a half-blood, or possessed by a phoenix. (a hypothetical which no theorist has been able to provide a satisfactory and logical explanation for) She gained the title thanks to her control over fire extending to the point of letting her produce wings of flame. ‘The Phoenix’, a title given her long before the war, naturally became ‘The Phoenix King’, which then further degraded in that typical abbreviatiory manner of all living speech to become known to most simply ‘The King’ or ‘King’.   
  
You note the character used for ‘king’ is somewhat antiquated, at least when compared to the surrounding text.  
  
I had the great fortune of interviewing her during the course of writing this book. It is not often that one gets the chance to speak to an individual of this unique stature, especially one who has lived both as a human and a youkai.  
  
She was very willing to bare her heart and her past to me, and it is only fair for me to recount it the best I can.  
  
You read of how Mokou lived a quiet life. She was ignored by her father, and was raised by the household’s servants, having no idea who her mother was. Until the day her father left on a quest to win the heart of a beautiful princess, failed somehow, and left the capital in disgrace.  
  
She overheard that a great treasure that the beautiful princess had offered the emperor was going to be disposed of atop a high mountain, and she followed the soldiers who carried it.  
  
Looking back, even she could not recall _why_ she set out after the treasure. Revenge by stealing something precious to her enemy? A desire to win his favor by obtaining the priceless gift? Mere curiosity? It doesn’t matter, in the end.  
  
Mokou was taken along by the leader of the soldiers, a man named Iwakasa. She remembered him as kind and honest, who saw nothing wrong with letting her travel with them. By then, she didn’t care much about the treasure anymore.  
  
Until they reached the top of the mountain, and realized the truth of the treasure they carried- it could bestow immortality. The goddess of the mountain, Sakuya-hime, told them so and refused to let them dispose of the treasure there.  
  
The group was thrown into turmoil. No one wanted to sleep, and no one let anyone else alone with it.  
  
When she awoke, it was to a scene of slaughter. Mokou could not know for sure, but she was certain that Sakuya-hime was responsible for their deaths, leaving only her and Iwakasa.  
  
Iwakasa and Mokou began to descend the mountain alone. And that is when Mokou, almost on impulse, pushed the man off the edge and took the treasure for herself.  
  
It is a story from long ago, but I have no reason to doubt her account of Iwakasa as an honest man.  
After all, his untimely demise is all too befitting a man of honesty.  
  
You aren’t sure if that means he’s another exception to Irota’s disdain or not.  
  
“What are you reading there, Reimu?” Keine asks curiously, breaking your attention away from the book. You hadn’t realized how absorbed you’d been.  
  
“Just thought this seemed interesting.” You say, holding it up so you can show her the cover.  
  
Something in Keine’s expression curdles at seeing that title. She brushes it off quickly, but you’re somehow reminded of her reaction when the two of you first met.  
  
“That’s nice.” She sounds genuine, but for once you doubt that. “I’ll be in my room when you’re done, okay?”  
  
You nod in assent, and she takes her leave.  
  
Why would she react like that, you wonder? Considering her own personal involvement in the Underground’s long history, she must have many memories from back then. Good or bad, the sheer _weight_ of hundreds of years… how would that feel, to idly stumble across something and have it all come flowing back to you?  
  
You don’t understand. Nor do you wish to.  
  
She claimed that the treasure was known as the Hourai Elixir, which had been long thought to be a fabrication by those desperately wishing for immortality. (More on the subject can be found in ‘Medicine of Myth’, to be released later this year.) The effects she demonstrates are hard to deny, however.  
  
Her body rapidly heals of any and all wounds, at a rate unheard of by all but a few youkai. Even removal of her vital organs or complete destruction of them does not prevent her from resurrecting in a gout of flame shortly thereafter. To our and her knowledge, she cannot die. Or rather, she isn’t allowed to die.  
  
She claims this is how she gained her control over fire, exploring esoteric magic and techniques that would have killed any other dozens of times over. Again, I see no reason to doubt her in this. There are some records of individuals with similar abilities, but at this point her techniques, after a millennia of practice, can only be considered her own.  
  
This is interesting, but you’re curious about her position as King as well. Flipping ahead several chapters, you seem to find what you’re looking for.  
  
The informal alliance between the remnants of the Tengu and the miscellaneous youkai expanded to include the Oni and Earth Spiders, who had already built a city for themselves in the Underground. After negotiations and all had come to the understanding of the Barrier preventing them from leaving, three of the Devas that had once ruled over the mountain used their reputations and strength to bring the scattered and dissolute youkai to heel.  
  
From that starting point, the city was expanded. Before it had no name, but Mokou provided it with one… ‘Home’.  
  
Despite her policy achievements and public popularity, she has never been the best at naming things. Anyway, most of the individuals who would have objected to that name left the city to live elsewhere. They were free to do so, as long as they did not attack or act against the city’s authority, land, or people.  
  
Given the luxury of peace, as old groups reformed and new ones appeared, society became less of a singular group driven by desperate necessity. The Barrier may keep us youkai trapped, but it became obvious in time that it also kept them safe from human reprisal. By executive decision, the capital was moved to a new location on the eastern side of the Underground because of easier access to natural resources such as sunlight. This new city was called… ‘New Home’. By this point, it was expected by the public.  
  
Home, its population already dwindling, became what we know as the Ruins. A small number of youkai remain there today (including many of the Earth Spiders) in relative seclusion.  
  
Two of the Devas left the city behind, satisfied in its stability. A good amount of their hangers-on followed in their wake. Many of the youkai who originally called the Underground home continued living in seclusion as they had before. And because of this, what had once been a somewhat loose group of influential youkai who led the capital became more centralized.  
  
Without the Devas exerting their influence directly, and with several other notable groups leaving to start their own settlements, the administrative role Mokou had held (with her partner Keine by her side) grew in importance. The youkai who remained in New Home desired formal unified leadership, many of them remembering her war history with gratitude. And so, somewhat reluctantly, she took on the mantle of King.  
  
Many of the other influential figures in the capital, most of whom had experience with the earlier confederate government, formed what is now known as New Home's Council. (the number of members has varied over the years) They each focus on administering smaller sections of governance, serving as liaison between the people and the King, and coordinate with her on enacting policy. While she can circumvent them with an executive order, she rarely makes use of this privilege.  
  
With this stability in the capital came what some refer to as the Underground’s ‘golden age’. I have always been skeptical of such descriptions, blighted by nostalgia as they inevitably seem to be. But in this case I understand that argument, as like many such ‘golden ages’, it was brought to an end by a tragedy that shook the entire underground.  
  
That’s strange. The next page doesn’t explain what ‘the tragedy’ was, it just continues about rule of law in the Underground. Could it be a printing error? ...Or are there pages missing?  
  
Her _de jure_ authority does not cover the entire Underground- it is more a matter of respect that leads other settlements to pay taxes. Youkai who live outside the law do so in small groups, knowing that interfering with larger society will lead to equivalent reprisal- which they would prefer to come at the hands of the UDF. No one relishes the thought of personally offending one of the Devas.  
  
It is rare to find a youkai with personal grievance against Mokou, even if they dislike the authority or policy she represents. Anyone who remembers the war first-hand knows the debt we collectively owe her all too well.  
  
That’s enough of the Underground’s politics for one night; you decide to stop there. Feeling your eyes growing heavy, sleep calls to you. Biographies aren’t usually your thing, but something about this one really interested you. Maybe it’s Irota’s writing, or maybe it’s because it’s about a person you will meet. Considering her role in the capital, it is likely you will need to- for the sake of your mission, of course.  
  
Putting the book away and proceeding down the hall, you pause outside Keine’s door. The temptation rises to knock, to ask how she’s feeling. You aren’t sure why, exactly, you just get the urge to.  
  
The light in her room is already out. She’s probably asleep. You decide it should wait until tomorrow.  
  
Readying yourself for bed, you attempt to find solace in the fact that your objective was successful, Keine agreed to let you pass. Tomorrow you will leave the Ruins and travel on to the rest of the Underground. Tomorrow.  
  
Sleep comes without dreams this time.  



	10. Chapter 10

_Tap tap_  
  
“Good morning, Reimu.” Keine calls, her voice muffled by the bedroom door. “I’d like to talk after breakfast, if that’s alright with you.”  
  
 _Does that mean I’m in trouble?_ Your still sleep-groggy mind wonders. You can’t think of any reason why you would be, so you’re probably not. Thinking back over the previous day gets your mind working, and by the time you leave the bed you feel almost fully awake.  
  
Entering the dining room, you’re greeted by Keine and food, in that order. No sign of Alice, just like yesterday morning.  
  
“She’s probably working on a new project.” Keine explains, pointing out the pen sketch of a busy-looking human-ish figure attached to the outside of her bedroom door. “It’s best if we don’t bother her for now.”  
  
“Alright.” You agree, setting down your empty bowl. “You mentioned you had something you wanted to talk about? I’m all ears.”  
  
“It’s not quite like yesterday, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Keine says. “You’re planning to head out today, aren’t you?”  
  
Somehow, hearing her say that makes you feel almost guilty. “If that works for you?” You offer.  
  
“Of course, it’s not a problem.” She smiles. “It’s just that before you go, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give you a lesson in Underground conflict resolution like I do for the other newcomers. I know you can take care of yourself, but it’d be best if you know what to expect, especially if you’re planning to travel to the capital.”  
  
“Alright, sounds great.” You say. “What exactly did you have in mind?”  
  
Keine just smiles.  
  


* * *

  
  
Now that you’re back in the massive hallway leading to the ruins exit, this amount of space no longer feels so excessive or overwhelming. If anything, it feels just right for what’s to come.  
  
Keine stands several paces away, in the middle of a verbal explanation on dueling. Presumably, the physical explanation will follow.  
  
“I’m not sure if you’re already familiar with the concept, but in the Underground, most battles use a fairly restrained style of combat. It’s focused around weak magical projectiles, like the ones I used with the training dummy. The point is not to destroy or crush your opponent. Rather, by winning you prove your skills are superior to theirs.”  
  
You do know that similar techniques were used in a sort of semi-formal system of dueling among the powerful youkai and humans long ago. But it, like many other traditions, faded into obscurity. Your dodging skills have mostly come naturally, and it’s a relief to hear that they should prove useful.  
  
“I’m familiar with the concept. But I’d appreciate anything else you can tell me, too.” You ask, possibly too eagerly.  
  
“The generally accepted form for dueling is between two people. They introduce themselves, and declare the number of ‘lives’ they intend to use, along with their demands if they win.”  
  
“‘Lives’?” You ask, unsure of the meaning in this context.  
  
“The attacks are limited in power, at least in general duels. If one of the dummy’s bullets had hit you, it would have stung a little- just enough to encourage you to evade them. ‘Lives’ are essentially declaring the number of hits you will take before you forfeit, usually between one and five. Declaring more than five is typically considered cowardly and in poor form.”  
  
“And obviously, the winner gets their demands met.” You surmise. “If I wanted to have someone get out of my way, and I won, then they’d have to keep their agreement, right?”  
  
“Correct, if one is to maintain their honor and social standing.” She smirks. “Bear in mind, however, that not everyone will even give you the courtesy of declaring a duel. Even in those cases, take the high road and remain honorable. Whatever your strength of arms might be, you won’t win a meaningful victory without reason; without virtue.”  
  
A thought comes to mind, and you speak it. “How are lives counted? What’s stopping me from pretending I wasn’t hit and lying about it?”  
  
“Traditionally, a duel is overseen by an unattached observer to determine fairness. But it would be quite hard to hide being hit, considering these attacks drain your spiritual power. ‘Lives’ is an apt term, because they signify being hit by an attack that if unrestrained would cause serious injury.”  
  
“So what happens now?” A distinct possibility comes to mind, and you voice it. “Do I have to fight you?”  
  
“Do you want to?” Keine replies, almost bemused.  
  
You take a moment to think on that question. You don’t have a grudge against Keine. She’s been the bearer of some unfortunate news, but that’s not her fault and you don’t blame her for it. After this long, you’re sure that she genuinely wants to help you, and everyone else in the Ruins.  
  
It’s not that you want to oppose _her_. You want to personally experience a duel if you’ll need to do them later. You want to prove yourself, to show your strength with this dueling. This is Keine’s final lesson for you, and you want to impress her.  
  
“I want to learn as much as I can.” You declare, readying your stance. “So if you’re offering…”  
  
“First to three hits, then.” Keine says, her hands beginning to glow. “Is that alright with you?”  
  
“Of course.” You run through your opening moves mentally. Circle around from behind? The hall’s plenty wide enough, but you used something similar against the training dummy, Keine’d see it coming… You aren’t sure what Keine’s abilities are like in a fight, so maybe it’s better to let her take the first move and then counter.  
  
The decision ends up being taken from you, as Keine acts first. An array of oversized bullets appears around her, each of them being orbited by smaller, multicolored cousins. “How’s this?” She asks calmly. A rhetorical question, she opens fire before you have time to respond.  
  
You react without thinking, drawing an ofuda and creating a hasty barrier. The combined assault is at least three times denser than the fairy barrage from before, and it shatters in less than a second.  
  
But that’s all the time you need to cover the distance to the side of the hallway and begin to circle around her. The bullets begin to change course in mid-air to chase you, but they’re slow to retarget- you keep ahead of them at a full sprint, your strides barely touching the ground at all. The flashes of light and crackling of energy from the bullets landing behind spurs you on, and only when those cease do you stop running, locking eyes with Keine  
  
“You do this kind of thing with _everyone_ that’s new?” You pant.  
  
“Not exactly like this, no.” Keine says. “I thought that because you already knew the basics, it’d be best to jump in at a high level. Should I tone it down some?”  
  
The look on your face makes it clear that you refuse to be coddled.  
  
Without a word, Keine prepares her next attack, a simple circular pattern of normal-sized bullets that expand outward rapidly. You leap backward, expecting to slip through easily with distance, until you see her launch eight additional large bullets, which surround her and form another circle. Energy continues to gather, you realize she’s charging up for something big.  
  
Even if you could evade, your pride can’t let her do something like that unopposed. Withdrawing four needles, you hold them between your fingers. Each of the large orbs begin to pulse, shooting out their own bullets in four directions, filling the air to a stifling degree. You need to leap back, again and again, searching desperately for a gap for you to pass through. Already, you can barely see Keine amidst the colorful lights...  
  
You can’t make out your target clearly. Maybe that was intentional, to distract you and confound your aim. So you don’t bother. Relying on instinct, you plant your feet, ignore the oncoming barrage, and _throw._  
  
Needle number one misses completely, two and four collide with the stray bullets that fill the air. But number three flies straight and true, and for a moment you see a flash of brilliance, as Keine retracts the energy from all bullets to defend herself. When your vision clears, you see her breathing heavily, holding your needle between two scorched and blackened fingers.  
  
“The first hit goes to you. Well done.” Keine says.  
  
You scowl. “You’re still holding back, aren’t you!”  
  
“That is the heart of a duel, Reimu.” Keine says calmly, firing a comparably simple and utilitarian spread of bullets from her left hand. “If many of us were to use our powers simply to kill or incapacitate efficiently, there would not be much of a fight.”  
  
“So dueling’s all just rampant battle-mania; is that it?” You retort, juking to the left and right to evade, returning fire with a sheaf of ofuda.  
  
“In a sense!” She grunts with effort, needing to finally evade herself. “But it’s being directed-” her words are cut off as the ofuda continue to home in on her and she evades them again. “-to a better aim!” With a clap of her hands and a burst of light, she overwhelms their energy, leaving the spent paper to drift uselessly to the floor.  
  
“What about _your_ aim, though?” You taunt.  
  
“If you find it poor, then feel free to come closer.” Keine replies cooly.  
  
You know it’s a provocation, but you can’t resist. Something about it calls to you, and you know your speed is superior to hers- her preference to remain still and force you back with wide-area techniques indicates it.  
  
With a burst of speed, you eat up the ground that separates you. Keine won’t make it easy for you, sending out the orbit of large bullets again, but you’ve seen this attack before. Rolling out of the way of one stream of shots, you leap over the large bullet and into the clear central area where Keine stands.  
  
She does not hesitate to attack you while you’re in midair, firing directly at you from reflex- the bullets’ spread wild and uncoordinated. You draw your gohei in one smooth motion as you continue to flip through the air, striking several bullets down-  
  
Wham.  
A sickening feeling in your gut spreads throughout your body. You’ve taken blows there before, and understand what it’s like to involuntarily return your lunch after one. This is spiritual damage, terrible in an entirely new way, even without the loss of breath and the retching.  
  
Your landing is awkward, but you scramble to your feet before Keine can readjust her aim and shoot you at point blank, your gohei already mid-swing. It slips from your hand, spinning in an arc, crashes through the bullets she fires and strikes her on the temple soundly with a dissonantly loud CRACK.  
  
She stumbles back as her other bullets fade away.  
  
Oh _shit_.  
  
You watch the still-dazed Keine, your eyes wide. Why’d you throw the gohei, an ofuda would have been better, you were off balance it was just reflex but she’s not responding…  
  
Calm down. Make _sure_.  
  
“Are you okay?” You ask hesitantly, all thoughts of the duel or winning gone from your mind.  
  
Keine continues to stagger, clutching her head in pain. You step closer, turning to face her.  
  
Something isn’t right. Maybe it’s the look on what you can see of her face, maybe it’s where her left hand is- or rather, isn’t-  
  
With a brief flash of motion, you find yourself with a hand inches away from your face. The tips of Keine’s fingers begin to glow. Your eyes raise in shock to meet hers, which are clear and focused. “Bang.” she whispers.  
  
Your vision fills with light, pure energy. It’s all you can do to whip your head back, overbalancing yourself. A blinding blue beam of light fills the air, grazing your face by inches. It crashes into the hallway’s wall within an instant, leaving a cloud of dust. Collapsing back into a fall, you land on your rear with a grimace, eyes wide in shock.  
  
Cradling her head with her right hand, eyes torn between mirth and watering in pain, a grin finds Keine’s face. “You’re lucky you’re fleet-footed.”  
  
“That beam wouldn’t have killed me...” You stubbornly insist.  
  
“Yes, I was still holding back. The duel wasn’t over yet, Reimu.” Keine explains, massaging her head. “It is admirable to show concern for your opponent, but it is best to call for a time-out to signal your intentions in doing so.”  
  
This isn’t like her. “You couldn’t have _told_ me that ahead of time?” You grit your teeth.  
  
“I realized when we were already in the situation that showing you would be far more effective. I doubt you’ll forget about letting your guard down now, will you?” She doesn’t mean to sound smug, but you can’t help but hear that in her voice. Getting corrected- and by extension, knowing you made a mistake- stings.  
  
You hadn’t expected something underhanded from her, even if it’s for the sake of making a point.  
  
Keine sighs, and plops down on the ground beside you. “If it makes you feel any better, I was disoriented from your last hit. It just didn’t last as long as you thought.” Something like contrition enters her face. “I wanted to see if you’d take the win or not.”  
  
“There’s no glory in crushing someone who can’t fight back.” You mumble.  
  
“Even if they are a ‘scary’ youkai.” Keine says knowingly.  
  
You don’t respond.  
  
“Reimu, I want you to look at me.” She says, serious again.  
  
You do, somewhat reluctantly.  
  
“Make no mistake, that is wonderful for me to hear.”  
  
“It is?” You say, still somewhat disbelieving.  
  
“Yes.” Keine agrees. “That sense of honor will serve you well, and if my actions have discouraged you from it in some way then I can only apologize.” She smiles. “There will be times when you need to fight and need to win. But you’ve shown you understand that mercy is to be more valued than victory.”  
  
You recognize the look on her face now. She’s back in full teacher mode.  
  
“There is much I could say about why, but there is one reason above all the others. Youkai are mental and spiritual beings before all else- and this makes them vulnerable to a mentality or spirituality that opposes them. But conversely, that can be an advantage as well. An attack without the intent to kill or even to hurt logically won’t do as much mental or spiritual damage. You were desperate, but you didn’t feel anger toward me. I wasn’t as injured as you thought.”  
  
“Does that go both ways, too?” You ask, on the cusp of understanding. “Your attacks were weakened because you didn’t intend to hurt me either.”  
  
“Yes, that is true.” She smiles again, this one is filled with the satisfaction of seeing her pupil arrive at the correct answer. “Now you begin to understand the nature of dueling, and its necessity for us. Youkai are creatures of conflict- and the same can be said of humans as well- but for most it is a need, just as much as food or water is for you. Walking the delicate balance between the necessary conflict and the need for stability and cooperation is why dueling exists.”  
  
“Humans are different, though.” You muse. “We might fight if we need to survive, but not all of us _live_ to fight.”  
  
“That is true.” Keine admits. “But the same is true of youkai, their needs differ greatly. Even if the reasons for conflict are different, most of the principles of it are the same. I can see you’ve already been instructed in many of those- so I’ll make this brief. In conflict, seek to know your opponent. Understand them, and you won’t need to fear them... or yourself.”  
  
 _Understand them…_ “How did you do that one attack earlier?” You ask. “The one with the big bullets that fired smaller bullets out of them.”  
  
“Oh, that? I used my power to manipulate history…” Her voice trails off as she sees the incredulous expression on your face. “Don’t misunderstand, it’s quite simple, just changing the history of the large bullets so that they’ve ‘always’ been firing the smaller ones. They’re all still my bullets and use up my spiritual power, it’s just a trick to change their point of origin.”  
  
“No matter how you explain it, it doesn’t really seem simple to me.” You say.  
  
“It’s all thanks to my ability as a hakutaku, part instinct and part practice.” Keine says humbly. “In this case, a large amount of practice. And like any other revision of history, direct spiritual force can overwhelm it. If you’d pre-empted it by attacking first, I doubt it would have activated properly.”  
  
With that, Keine stands up and dusts herself off. “Anyway, I think that’s enough training for now, don’t you? There isn’t much more I can really teach you.”  
  
“Alright.” You agree, even if you aren’t entirely sure about that.  
  
“We’d better head back upstairs. Alice is probably looking for us by now.” She smiles, taking the lead, and you follow.  
  


* * *

  
  
Keine was mistaken- Alice’s door remains shut. Disappointing, but it can’t be helped, which seems to be how Keine feels as well. She bustles off to check on something or other, while you check through the guest bedroom to make sure you have all of your belongings.  
  
Twenty persuasion needles and a thick stack of ofuda. (having retrieved the thrown needles for reuse) The gohei and a small bottle for water. And your outfit, which you hesitate to count as you were already wearing it. Gathering it all up again, it’s only now apparent little it actually is.  
  
Returning to the dining room, Keine greets you again. “Alright, Reimu. There’s a long road ahead of you to the capital, so if there’s anything I can do for you now, feel free to ask.”  
  
“Thank you…” And you are thankful, but you aren’t sure what to ask for. “What would you suggest? As long as it’s not too heavy, I need to stay unencumbered.”  
  
“Ah.” Keine’s face lights up in realization. “The forest outside the ruins is trapped in perpetual winter and buried in snow. Shouldn’t you take warmer clothing?”  
  
“I don’t think I’ll need it.” You say. “The cold never bothered me much anyway.”  
  
Keine looks at your bare shoulders incredulously. “At least accept this.” She says, reaching for a coat rack and handing you a long, yellow scarf. You take it gingerly, marveling at how the hand-knit fiber feels smooth like silk. “That won’t slow you down much, will it?” She asks.  
  
“No.” You admit. It might be too warm for other climates, just wrapping it around your neck is already heating you up. Maybe it’s enchanted. Either way, it’s quite a generous gift. “Thank you.”  
  
“Don’t thank me just yet.” Keine smiles, turning to the dining table and reaching for a small, clear container. You realize it’s a slice of her pie. “I want you to have this as well, after I saw how much you enjoyed it.”  
  
You accept it with a whispered thanks.  
  
“I hope it helps.” She says warmly, wrapping her arms around you again. This time, you linger in this moment, somewhat wishing that it wouldn’t end.  
  
Keine breaks away first, proud despite the growing sorrow a goodbye brings. “I’ll escort you to the exit, and reseal it after you pass. Is there anything else?”  
  
The sound of a door crashing open answers for you, causing you to jump and Keine’s eyes to narrow. Alice stands in the doorway, holding the frame with an ink-stained left hand.  
  
“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” She says.  
  
...You can’t lie to her. “Yeah.”  
  
“Will we meet again?” Those golden eyes of hers wait for you to reply.  
  
You let out a long sigh. You’re leaving, you have your mission to complete. But only now, you understand what you’re leaving.  
  
“Most likely not.” It’s a somewhat harsh thing to say; you can see Alice’s face fall. Keine puts her hand on your shoulder in support as you kneel down to look Alice in the eye. It’s harsh, but it’s the truth. You won’t run away from it.  
  
“I have a mission.” You say, keeping your voice even. “I need to travel to the capital, and back to the surface. I don’t know if I’ll be allowed to return, or even if I’ll be able to.”  
  
Alice nods in recognition, still looking downcast. “You’re trying to break through as well, right?” She says.  
  
“...Something like that, yeah.” You smile. You’d misunderstood- Alice isn’t worried about you leaving her. She’s worried for you and your journey.  
  
“I won’t ask you to stay behind for me.” She says, in that too-even, unchild-like manner of hers. “We’ve each got our own paths in life… or something like that.”  
  
“Yeah.” You’re relieved. Alice is strong, she can pull herself up and out of this. You don’t know if your passing will motivate her more, but you hope that it does.  
  
Keine walks over to her, and the two exchange a quick hug. You return to your feet.  
  
“Do you have everything?” Keine asks.  
  
“Yes, I’m ready.” You’ve double-checked already, there’s no need to check again.  
  
And with that, the three of you descend the stairs once more.  
  
The massive corridor is the same as before, and so is the equally-massive door at its end. But something feels different now, a sense of finality that comes with knowing you won’t see it again. It’s a strange feeling. Not bad, or good, just strange.  
  
“You two, stay where you are.” Keine orders, stepping closer to the door. “This will take a moment.” Closing her eyes, she presses her hands to the door, presumably to undo her seal- although you’ve got no idea how she’ll open it, that monstrous thing must weigh a literal ton.  
  
Standing there in wait, you suddenly remember you had forgotten to tell Alice about the talk you had with Keine. You hadn’t promised explicitly, but you’d be remiss to go back on it regardless.  
  
“Alice.” You whisper, hoping Keine’s hearing isn’t good enough to understand you at this distance. Neither of them respond, but Alice gives your hand a squeeze to show that she’s listening. “I talked about you with Keine yesterday.”  
  
“You didn’t need to do that.” She whispers back without turning to face you.  
  
“I guess I didn’t.” You admit. “But I wasn’t going to just leave it hanging like that if there was anything I could do.”  
  
“She didn’t tell you much, did she?”  
  
“She told me enough.” You remember how both of them had that same look of resignation when speaking of it. “Enough to know it wasn’t something I could change. I wish there was more I could do.”  
  
“Don’t.” Alice replies quietly. “It’s been our issue from the beginning- both of us dancing around it. If Keine won’t step up soon, then I will.”  
  
That’s good to hear… as long as that confrontation doesn’t go badly. Well, that’s out of your hands too. Alice just said it’s her battle to fight. You’ve got plenty of your own still to come.  
  
Keine finishes dispelling the door’s seal with a small flash of light. The door doesn’t look any different from before, and you wonder again how she’ll get it open.  
  
“Alice, can you give me a hand with this?” She calls over her shoulder. “I’ll take the left, you take the right.”  
  
“Of course.” Alice says smoothly, drawing that thick, leather-bound tome you’d seen her carrying but never had a reason to notice. It opens on its own, pages flipping rapidly as spiritual power begins to surround it. With a muttered incantation, the faint, glowing outline of a gigantic hand appears above you.  
  
So this is what the active use of her magic is like. You’re marveling at the sight, almost missing Keine stepping up to the door’s left half. A faint glow shows she’s summoning her own strength, although her setting her feet and bracing her arms indicates she’s using a more direct approach than Alice is.  
  
“On three.” Keine calls.  
  
“Yes.” Alice replies, stepping forward calmly, the hand pressing gently against the door as it moves with her.  
  
“One.” Keine controls her breathing, ready for a great effort. Alice closes her eyes, preparing for a different kind of effort entirely.  
  
“Two.” You decide to take several steps backward, just to be safe.  
  
“Three!” With a grunt of exertion from Keine, and a great groaning noise of stone on stone, the doors begin to move.  
  
It’s awe-inspiring, the size of them making your brain feel like you’re witnessing an illusion; nothing that big should move. But it’s very real. The beads of sweat on Keine’s forehead, the grooves in the stone as the door moves away from its resting place, all bear witness to it. If Alice is similarly exhausting herself, you can’t tell.  
  
And the groaning sound stops, the doors remaining mostly shut. Only a small crack remains between them, although that’s more than enough for a person to walk through.  
  
Keine leans back, panting. Alice’s book closes, she looks somewhat drained. The two turn back to you.  
  
“The way is clear.” Keine says between breaths. “We’ll close it behind you- once we’ve gotten some rest, of course.”  
  
“Thank you.” You say, still staring at the impractical size of the doors. “Pardon my saying so, but there’s got to be an easier way to do this.”  
  
“That’s intentional, they were made to defend against siege.” Alice explains. “Replacing them wasn’t a priority when there aren’t many people coming or going.”  
  
 _What kind of siege were they afraid of?_ You wonder, but shrug it off. Your journey awaits.  
  
Stepping up to the opening, you turn back to look at them. Keine’s recovered enough to stand by Alice’s side, and they both look to you.  
  
For a moment, none of you know what to say.

“Goodbye, Reimu.” Keine breaks the silence.

Alice looks at her strangely, and then it dawns on you that you never told her your real name. She still knows you as ‘Reika’. You could scream in frustration.

Thankfully, Alice is more adaptable than you would be in the situation. After she and Keine share a long look that says a thousand words, she turns back to you. “Goodbye, Reimu.” 

“Goodbye.” You say, making an effort to smile.  
  
You turn your back and begin to walk. The urge to look behind you is there, but you deny it. There’s nothing to be gained by doing so. This chapter of your life is now over.  
  


* * *

  
  
This hallway will be the last one, and you’re glad for that- you’ve wanted to leave the Ruins and its repetitive, samey architecture behind you.  
  
Ahead, a shaft of light from some overhead crack lets a small patch of grass grow in the middle of the corridor. And amid that grass, a familiar stone statue rests. Your pace slows to a saunter. “Hey, Aunn.”  
  
Stone gives way to flesh, and the scowl to a wide grin, moments before you’re pounced upon by a very eager, excited lion-dog. It’s only thanks to a reflexive, reduced-gravity spin that you avoid being tackled to the ground painfully, but you end up staggering anyway and dropping Aunn with a grunt of exhaustion. She’s _heavy._ (not that you’d say that out loud)  
  
“Young master!” Aunn shouts, just as exuberant as always. “You’re okay!”  
  
“It wasn’t that bad…” You shrug.  
  
“You’re alive!” She continues, rubbing against your leg vigorously.  
  
“Yes, I am.” You frown, trying to pry her out of her awkward position.  
  
“I was so worried about you!” Aunn blubbers, her eyes filled with exaggerated tears. “It’s been forever! All I could think of was the terrible things they must be doing to you in there…”  
  
 _Yeah, ‘terrible’._ You remember Keine’s pie and the bath and the soft bed.  
  
“I’m just glad you’re safe.” She whispers, head lowered.  
  
Reaching out, you give her hair several pets, eliciting a happy growl. “Yeah, me too.” You say, more glad about her calming down.  
  
“Right!” Aunn springs back to attention abruptly, sitting with her head raised high. “You’ve made it through the first part of the journey! That’s great!” Before you have time to agree, she interjects again. “How do you feel?”  
  
“Pretty good, I guess.” You’re somewhat at a loss for words to express how you feel. “I’ll be _really_ happy to see some new scenery, at least.”  
  
“That’s great!” Aunn cheers. “There’s plenty of that ahead. I hope you like snow! Because I do!”  
  
“It’s okay, I guess.” You sigh. “Something’s been bothering me.”  
  
“What is it?” She asks, her exuberance changed to head-tilting concern in the blink of an eye.  
  
“It took awhile just to get through the Ruins, and it felt like it took ages. But all that was just the beginning!” You rant, somewhat grateful to have an understanding audience. “I’ve still got the snowy part, the wet part, the hot part, and then the capital! This is going to take _forever..._ ”  
  
“Yeah…” Aunn moans in commiseration. “But!” Her ears perk up again. “You’re not alone, remember?”  
  
“Of course.” You chuckle mirthlessly. “How could I forget.” That can be just as much of a curse as it is a blessing.  
  
“I-I’ll be with you every step of the way too!” She cheers. “In spirit, at least- don’t want to get spotted by any angry youkai, right? I’ll meet you again at the forest’s shrine, they’ve got another statue there.”  
  
You know she’s just trying to cheer you up, and you can’t deny you appreciate having her ‘help’. “Alright, Aunn. I’ll see you then.” You say.  
  
“Stay careful out there!” She calls, moving back to her statue’s original position. “And stay determined!”  
  
As you continue, the light shining through the Ruins exit is bright enough to blind you in its glare.  
  
When you open your eyes again, the entire world is filled with snow.

# End of Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. If you've read this far, first of all I'd like to say thank you so much for being interested in my little story here. I can't make any concrete promises about timeframes, but I will say I intend to see this through to the end. 
> 
> Kind of crazy to think about how after over a year and 54k words, we're only now finished with this opening arc. I'm estimating the story at being 9 parts in total. (although they might not all be this long, now that the premise/concepts are more established.)
> 
> And again, if you're interested in participating yourself, the quest can be found at https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/sealed-land-of-forbidden-mysticism-undertale-touhou-au.786469/


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